The Basics of Flirting
by DaEvilQueen-785
Summary: The Basics of Flirting... this is a Dro fic, and if you don't know what Dro is then you better read on. :) Josephine Clearwater/Draco Malfoy. Josephine is a clumsy, sarcastic, over-loving Gryffindor girl, she is in Ginny's year and is under the surveilance of bitchy Umbridge, god help her and her DA comrades. Set to T due to minor swearing.
1. Diagon Alley

Once we are seated and gathered around the table, Mom starts to make conversation,

"How is your studying going?" She asks politely. spooning a fork full of mashed potatoes into her mouth.

"Fine." I say, Mom never really likes to talk about our work, but Father is intrigued.

"Learning lots about unicorns and monsters?" He brings out his hand claws and swipes them in our direction, it makes me laugh.

"There called 'Magical Creatures' Dad" I joke.

"Besides." Pipes up Penelope. "She's only writing a few essays, not really learning until school starts again."

Mom flinches and drops her fork.

"Were not talking about Hogwarts at dinnertime." She states.

"But honey, you brought it up." Dad argues. That was enough for Mom,

"It's not fair!" Mom throws down her arms in anguish. She always has to start something every year before school. "Why cant they go to high school!" (The muggle school here in town) "They cant live so far from us! Learning to do magic! Its not right! I went to school every morning an came back every afternoon. Now Josephine is going all by herself!" Mom got up and briskly walked out of the dining room. Dad rolled his eyes and followed.

Penelope took a sip from her glass of water. "... And then there were two." She said.

"Does she have to do this every year?" I groaned.

"You know how she is." Penelope said calmly. I guess she's been through this routine more than I have. Penelope graduated last year.

I leaned back in my chair thinking. Mom and Dad had been pretty surprised when they had Penelope and she turned out a witch, by then they already had had me, I always thought that they wouldn't of had me if they knew i was going to be a witch. Penelope never believed my theory. Easy for her to say that, she's the oldest.

Then i got up and moved my empty dishes to the sink in the kitchen. It was getting dark now an unsettling shadow was about the neighborhood, nothing stirred. Our street was always suspiciously quiet. No rambunctious cats, no car alarms, just quiet. I think thats why we have so many people on our road. Everyone loves it, we all kind our contribute.

Suddenly a loud screech filled the house when Penelope opened the front door.

"Mails here!" She called out. I rushed over and together Penelope and I tackled the bird, (So much for quiet) trying to find our letters first and send the frazzled barn owl on its way with our answers. We brought the owl and the rumpled parchment to our bedroom. I set the bird on a perch by the window and began sorting the mail. We sat facing each other on the bed kriss cross.

"... Letter from percy," Penelope blushed when i dropped the slim envelope onto her lap. "Note from Ginny." I added the note to my pile. "Back to school letters." I smiled and added it to my stack. More letters from our friends at school and followed and surprisingly, a fat envelope addressed to Penelope by her ex-boyfriend Lee Jordan. Penelope scoffed and immediately tossed it in the trash. Lee and Penelope went out for a few weeks till she discovered percy and preferred how up-tight and responsible he was.

I smirked at her and opened my note from Ginny, personally i would have stayed with Lee.

_Dear Jo, _

_hows your summer? mines been so busy. Harry and Hermione has come to stay and we just have so many people in the house i don't think mom would let for another kid here. sorry. maybe next year. :( Were all going to Diagon Alley thursday to shop for our books and things, why don't you meet us there? I have contacted Eileen and Marisa. There coming too! write back soon! _

_ -Ginny 3_

Ginny is always trying to get me up to her house, she says i would love it there, I do, i've been to her house many a time, and cant wait to go back. I'll talk to dad about driving me up to London. We have to get a whole new set of books parchment and ink for school, plus, some new robes, i've grown at least an inch this summer and need new ones. (Last year my robes were pushing the boundary being too small).

I look up from my note to penelope, who is gazing dreamily out the window. Almost like a princess waiting for her prince to come save her. That girl has fallen hopelessly in love with geeky Percy Weasley.

Smirking to myself I pick a small piece of paper from my dresser drawer and write back:

_Dear Ginny, _

_I would love to meet your family in Diagon Alley, I need lots of things for school, anyways. :) And its fine. I can see your house anytime :p My summers fine, little boring, sleeping, reading, eating. The job at the bookstore though is uneventful. Still only 7$ an hour but... oh well. Cant wait to see you thursday! _

_ -Jo 3_

The days flied by and sooner than I expected, Dad and I were driving through London on our way to the Leaky Cauldron. The radio was on and was playing "Come with me now" by Kongos. Thats the kind of stuff Dad liked to listen to while driving. "Wont find anything that'll make your head bob like this, anywhere else." He'd say. _Every time_.

But this time, Dad turned down the radio, and looked at me sternly.

"What?" i ask defensively.

"Young Lady," uh oh. "There is something very serious i need to talk to you

about"

"What is it dad?" i ask, trying to put my best 'innocent' face on.

He looked intently at me and raised one eyebrow. (Yes, he literally raised his left eyebrow).

"I am very concerned for your well being. And i want you to know that at this age more young wizard males" _He couldn't be serious _"will be knocking on your door and-"

At that moment i burst out laughing, scattering his attempt at intimidation. He himself was nearing laughter, he had that glint in his eye and a smile creeping upon his face. I just kept laughing, Dad tried to re-start his sentence but i wouldn't let him.

"Now see here-"

"Your mother!-"

"I'm seri-"

"But lis-"

Finally i calmed down and listened with a strained look about me.

"I just wanted to say..." He then looked sideways at me. "That no wizard males, are aloud knocking on _our _door."

"Gotcha dad."

"Good, because i remember at my age, girls noticed me long before i noticed them."

"Thanks dad."

"No seriously, I was a real player back then. Men are snakes..."

"Alright dad!"

"Don't turn your back on them for a second, because once you do!-"

_"O.K! _Dad! i got it really!"

Dad pulled our Ford Flex into a parking space outside the leaky cauldron.

"Good!" He handed me a muggle 20$ bill and i got out of the car.

"Bye dad!"

"Bye sweetheart! I'll pick you up around 2:00?"

"Sounds good! bye!"

Dad pulled away and rounded the corner, then he was gone.

Inside the Leaky Cauldron there was plenty of shady figures and strange people sitting at the bar, eating at the tables. It was a bit of a strange scene combined with my braided hair, light black raincoat; open slightly showing my bright pink long-sleeve. I always wear jeans... and i was carrying my small brown "Shopping purse", thats what mom called. Compared to the bar, which was dingy and dark.

Outside on the other side of the Leaky Cauldron was a cheerful street lined on each side with quaint shops selling everything from books and wands to eels and dragon hearts. Everywhere on the street was bustling with witches and wizards, trying to get there morning shopping done. Smiling at the thought, I walked over to Florish and Blotts, the book store where Ginny was to meet me. The words 'Florish and Blotts' was freshly painted white in front of a clover green backdrop. Below the sign was two crates filled with books, a small sign over them said clearance. I bent down to pick up one badly beaten and dirty copy of Hogwarts; A History, The cover was faded purple and the binding was ratty and ripped. Who would treat a book like this? All the other books inside the shop window were all carefully looked after, brand spanking new, all polished with pride. I hated to see this book treated like this, I walked inside the shop, and stopped at the till. A tall handsome wizard wearing glasses was gabbling to the Witch ahead of me. I think i remember seeing him a Hogwarts. He was in my year i think.

I began to look closer at the cover of Hogwarts: A History, and saw that a small bump, the looks of which the tip of a nose, was forming on the front. I shrugged this off as the Witch in front of me turned and left.

"How can I help you?" He said smiling to me.

"Umm, i found this book outside in the clearance box, how much?"

The boy eyed me skeptically. "This old copy?"

I smiled knowingly and said back. "Yes"

"Posh! Since your taking it off my hands, why don't you take it for free?"

_Who says Posh?_

_"_Oh, I cant do that. How much?" i reached into my purse for some change.

"One knut." He smirked "And since were rounding down that will be free." The boy smiled dashingly and i couldn't help but admire his teeth. Perfectly straight and white. At that moment i remembered where i saw him, he's a fourth year too, In Ravenclaw i think.

"Do you always give discounts to customers?" I asked, hoping for the answer I'm searching for.

"Only the pretty ones." _Bingo. _Got it!

I don't blush very often, but when i do, its for the right reasons.

"Jo! you here?" Ginny has arrived, and was calling my name from the entrance, I could see her around the corner of a bookshelf.

"I got to go," I say to the clerk, as i start to walk away i toss him a knut and he catches it. "On me". Then i give him one last smile and I'm out of the shop.


	2. Conner

Outside the shop Ginny was crossing her arms and smirking at me wildly. I shunned her and took out my book again, the bump in the cover was sicking out more and was surely a nose shape. I poked it uncertainly. Then it twitched! "Who were you talking too?" Ginny asked teasingly.

"Nobody," I said absentmindedly. "Did you see that?"

"See what?"

I poked the nose again and it twitched!

"See?"

Ginny looked at me like i had just sprouted bat wings from my head.

"Nothing happened..." She said slowly.

"It twitched!" I insisted.

"No it didn't." She persisted

I frowned and Ginny looked worried.

I shook it off, must of been a trick of the light, of course thats what muggles think when they see magic. Shrugging, i put the book back into my bag and we walked back up the street.

"Want to go wait in the Leaky Cauldron?" Ginny looked over to me.

"Actually I have some muggle money i need to exchange."

"O.k, Mum and Dad are at gringotts already."

We continued to walk and talk down the street and rounded the corner of 'Madam Malkins robes for all occasions'. It was good to talk to Ginny in person, i was going crazy being by myself all summer.

Soon we arrived at the white columns holding the rest of the tall spotless bank, the building loomed over us impressively. I never get tired at looking at gringotts.

Inside we found the Weasley family, talking and gathering around the Grangers.

Percy spotted us first. "Hello Jo! Ginny." We waved back. Then Mrs. Weasley spotted us by a till and came bustling over.

"Hello girls! How was your summer Josephine?" Everyone in Ginny's family called me by my full name. Except Fred, George and Ron.

"It was great thanks."

Mrs. Weasley smiled.

"Here you go Ginny." Mrs. Weasley pooled a handful of sickles into Ginny's pocket.

"Thanks mum!"

"See you around girls! I don't suppose i need to tell you two not to go down knockturn alley." Just then Mrs. Weasley glanced at Fred and George, who were sneaking off unotably. She was off in a flash.

"Want to go to Florean's for ice cream first?" Ginny laughed.

"Sure." I agreed. Then Ginny and I walked out of gringotts and down the busy street to Florean Fortesque's Ice Cream Parlour. The shop was decored with Bright pink and yellow striped umbrella's with little sitting tables and chair's. We both ordered a medium strawberry caramel swirl with almond nuts. Our favourite. We sat in silence while we ate and watched a group of short wizards hurry about collecting money for hospital. Today was sunny, I noticed, bound to get hotter later on. Not a cloud in the sky and the sun sparkled on everything in Diagon Alley. It gleamed on the shop windows and heated the gray cobbled road. Nothing could beat today.

Ginny looked at me peculiarly. "Are you feeling O.k Jo?"

I looked back her. "Yeah, why wouldnt i be?"

"You just seem really preoccupied and tired." I always try to put myself in the best mood before i meet my friends, so not to dampen their day. Now whenever i'm not very talkative or smiling, they assume somethings wrong.

"Nothing," I say, "Just thinking about Mom, she threw another tantrum."

"Oh," Ginny says, she knows about mom and her moodiness, and how mom never wants us to go. Ginny doesnt know, however, that one year mom seriously considered taking us out of Hogwarts and having us go to a regular muggle school. What really was on my mind, was Hogwarts; a History. Why hadnt Ginny seen the nose on the cover twitch? Why _was_ there a 3D human nose stuck to the cover of a book?

We finished our sundaes with no interuptions and headed to Quality Quidditch Supplies, where we were to meet Eileen and Marisa, I handed the St. Mungos wizards a few sickles as we left. Inside, Ginny and i immediatly rushed to the open case, displaying a Firebolt, which was already crowded with people gawking at it. Ginny practically drooled over the Firbolt. She plays chaser for the Gryffindor team. I can only play beater, but that position would never be re-ajusted while Fred and George are at Hogwarts.

Ginny and I found Eileen and Marisa standing in a corner by the 'Clean it yourself' kits.

"Hey guys." I said cheerfully. I havent seen these girls since July.

"Hey Jo..." The other girls said in unison.

"What's wrong?" I asked, Eileen and Marisa were both looking at me glumly and didn't even glance a Ginny. Suddenly Marisa burst into tears.

"Me-e and fr-ed g-go-got in a f-figh-t." Each Syllable was cut short with a huge gasp and a wave of waterworks, fat blue tears rolled down her face.

Ginny and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes. Eileen looked at us disapprovingly.

"He was too old for you anyway-" Ginny started, "It wasn't even a relationship-"

Marisa looked at us with hatred plastered on her face. "Thanks for your support guys!" She spat at us.

"Marisa," I tried "You cant blame Ginny, even you thought it was a little unnatural, you guys are like four years apart."

Marisa wiped up her tears. "I guess..."

"C'mon. Let's go shopping!" Marisa and Eileen smiled and followed Ginny and I into Madam Malkins robe shop for all occasions.

"How do you have that effect on people?" Ginny wondered.

"I'm... just... kinder?" I said slowly as i followed my friends into the nearest shop.

...

Two hours later,

four tired, hungry, shopping bag laden girls, walked into the Leaky Cauldron, where they were to meet the Weasleys. we all sat down in unison at the longest table there.

Ginny leaned against me and said.

"Ugh! We missed Florish and Blotts." Eileen and Marisa groaned again as i smirked. _I wonder if that cute clerk is still there. Only one way to find out. _

"Well. I guess we better go then." I said.

Ginny matched my smirk knowingly. Somehow she found out about how i got Hogwarts; A History for free.

"You guys go ahead." said Marisa.

Back at Florish and blotts, The clearance box out front was gone, and fewer people were in the store than last visit. The old clerk from Ravenclaw wasnt at the till, but was doing his own bit of shopping in the back. Ginny took out her book list for Hogwarts.

_" 'The standard book of spells grade four, Miranda Goshawk' _and..._ 'The Dark Forces; A guide to Self-Defense' " _Ginny read aloud.

"Only two books?" I asked surprised, usually every year we have to get at least four.

"Yeah," Ginny added "Well, plus our others, we have to bring. For Herbology and Transfiguration and charms and potions and history of magic and-"

Ginny stopped when she saw my stare. "What?" She said defensively. I smiled and we both broke into fits of laughter.

Not the young man i was talking to, but another, older one walked up to us. "How can i help you?" The man said smiling.

Ginny calmed down enough to say that we were looking for The Standard book of spells Grade four, and he lead us to the bookshelf the farthest right of the shop.

"Thank you!" I said, the man nodded and walked away. I watched him leave and stop at the bookshelf on the other side of Florish and Blotts. He brought up conversation with the clerk i was talking too, who was looking up something in the 'M' section. The younger employee looked over to me, worrisome and made his way to us. I tried to look busy with Ginny looking for The standard book of spells grade four, like i wasnt watching him for the past minute.

"Hey," he said, his face placid.

"Hey!" I said back, hoping he was here to make a conversation, not to get us in trouble for 'breathing to much on the books' or 'wearing muddy shoes in the shop'.

"I owe you a knut,"

"No seriously, _I_ bought it so _I_ should pay for it. No biggy."

"Actually, heres the thing. uhmmm... I put the book in that box by accident and i need it back or else im going to get in trouble."

I looked over his shoulder at the older clerk, who was watching us with his arms crossed. For some reason I had a feeling that that I shouldnt give him the book. "What's so special about it?"

"Nothing." He says, obviously guilty and doesnt want me to know something.

"Whats you name?" I ask, probobly not the time for flirting but i needed to turn this conversation around. I can sense Ginny paying atention from her spot to the side of me, rapt with awareness.

"Conner." He said. Slightly surprised.

"Conner," I start, leaning in close. "How about i hand you this book I'm about to take from this bookshelf behind me unsuspiciously and give it to you so it looks like I'm giving you The book from my purse, and we can settle this later with a butterbeer?" I dont know where the words are coming from, they just pour out of me before i can stop them.

Conner leans in too and whispers in my ear, "I'm paying," then he holds out his hand and i slid a random book out of its spot from the bookshelf behind me, I can feel the groves of the books spine when I place it in his hand. Conner leans away, Smirking with one eyebrow raised he takes it and walks away.


	3. The Face of a Book

Ginny stares at me impressed, and starts a slow clap only we can hear, I giggle watching her.

"How did you manage that? and why didn't you give him the book? you just landed yourself a date!" Ginny sounded like she didn't know which to be more impressed with either I got a date with Conner, or that I got away without handing him the real book.

"I never thought about it like that." I said, "I just had a feeling that I shouldn't have handed it over."

Ginny laughed and slung her arm over my shoulders, with her other arm the caressed my hair lovingly as she looked into the distance.

"This is why were friends." She said. We laughed together and we stroked each others hair jokingly.

"Were such nerds." I said.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Smiled Ginny.

Then we bought four copies of 'The Standard Book of Spells, grade four', and four copies of 'The Dark Arts; A guide to Self-Defense.' (We promised Eileen and Marisa we would buy them copies, since they weren't up for it.)

I walked out of that book store happier than i have been all summer, we walked back to The Leaky Cauldron, where our other nerd friends were gathered.

...

Back at the Leaky Cauldron, not only were Eileen and Marisa there, but the entire Weasley crew as well. Mr and Mrs, were sitting to the side beside Eileen. Ron, Hermione and Harry were engrossed into conversation with Fred and George. (Marisa was determinedly not looking at Fred and talking politely to Mr. Weasley. Fred didn't seem to notice). On the other end of the table sat Percy, the Grangers... and Penelope!

Ginny dropped the books in front of Marisa and sat down beside her. I left my purse beside Eileen and went to see Penelope.

"Hey Penelope!" I said sitting down at the table as well. "How did you get here?"

"I came to see Percy." Penelope gestured around the table to him, like i haven't seen him yet.

"Yes..." I said slowly, still working how she could have got here, she was on strict probation by mom because Penelope broke her favorite vase, and was grounded. "Did you sneak here in the car when dad was driving me in?"

Penelope nods sheepishly. "Dad knew i was in there too."

"Uh, oh," I'am struck dumbfounded, Penelope and I nodded together knowingly. If Mom found out she would have our heads on a silver platter. She always talked about how we liked dad more and he let us get away with too much. When we were younger, we would worry together about mom and dad splitting because of that reason.

"Well, don't let mom find out!" I warned.

"Duh," Penelope mocked. She was so infuriating sometimes. Almost like i was the oldest and she was the sassy youngest who was spoiled rotten, there was one in every family.

I scowled. something I save for when I'm feeling foulest, then I slumped back to my chair beside Eileen.

"How did Penelope get here?" Marisa asked, She's always had a soft spot for Penelope. Marisa is an only child and doesn't know the pain of an older sister.

"She snuck into the car before we left so she could meet Percy." I said.

"Why didn't she just ride along normally?" Eileen asked.

"Because Penelope broke mom's vase, you know the one with the blue and white swirls?" Ginny nods, she's been to my house and knows what im talking about. "And now she's supposed to be grounded." Penelope is such a rebel, she has that perfect prefect scene going on, top in most of her classes. Then there was that incident when Ginny and I found her and Percy making out in a broom cupboard, concealed with a tapestry.

"I got grounded a few days ago for that exact same reason," Started Eileen "I was throwing around a football with Derek and when i threw it to him, he missed when he went to catch it and we broke mum's favorite floral vase!" Derek is Eileen's older brother, he's a squib, so he pretends magic doesn't exist. He leads a perfectly ordinary muggle life.

The conversation took off and for a while it was easy to believe that everything was going to turn out right, just talking and relaxing with my favorite people. Not like anything was going wrong, at the moment. Although I still couldn't shake the feeling i had about my copy of Hogwarts; A History. There was something strange about that book. The fact that only _I_ could see it twitch, the mysterious Nose-bump moving in on the cover. For awile i thought it must be some kind of dark magic. Then i thought that if it was, There would be some serious explaining about why Florish and Blotts had it in their inventory, and why i didnt hand it to Conner when he asked. That would get messy.

"...And i couldn't say no, so i ended up babysitting. What about you Jo?" Marisa had just finished her very long story about something incredibly dramatic that no one was listening to, And was expecting me too carry on in a polite fashion.

"Sorry what?" I leaned off my hand and looked around the group, Ginny was hiding laughter behind her hand and Eileen was in a trance as well, likely dreaming of Divination. Marisa simply fumed at me, I could almost literally see sparks fly from her ears.

"Jo!" She said, forced calm. "Why is nothing i say ever important to you?"

This kind of took me by surprise. Eileen snapped out of her daze and seemed to be rather intrigued with our new argument.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh you know! Why is Ginny suddenly getting the inside scoop on Josephine's new life? Why don't you ever hang around us on purpose?" Ginny stopped smiling and suggested we take this somewhere else.

Marisa waved her off and kept going, "C'mon Eil! You feel the same way!" Eileen felt Ginny and my cold stares on the back of her head. Eileen knew about Marisa's reactions to her friends. Like we were cheating on her every time we talked to someone new. Eileen probably fed Marisa that story, hoping for a show.

"Are you serious?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"You've got to be joking?" I said in the same way.

"No, I'm not. And until you and Ginny decide to be better friends, don't talk to me!" And with that Marisa gathered her things, shot us one more glare, then she stomped out in a huff.

Ginny couldn't help it, she burst out with unexpected laughter. I, meanwhile, laid down my head in my arms, already sprawled on the table. Mrs. Weasley looked at us questioningly.

"What was that all about?"

Ginny gave out another hoot of laughter. "Just Marisa being Marisa."

Mrs. Weasley smiled happily with her answer and turned back to Mr. Weasley.

Then from back in the shop, hidden beneath sound, over the muffled talk and chatter in the Leaky Cauldron, I could hear the unmistakable calling of Dad's voice.

"Jo? Time's up where are you?" Down the line Penelope hid under the table.

"I'm over here." I called.

Dad stalked over to us and put his hands on his hips, he was wearing jeans, a red and blue plaid shirt and converse. The typical muggle adolescent male attire. Dad was always trying to stay "Hip" with the "Youth of today".

Only to prove my point he crossed his arms, his car keys jangling in his hands, and said.. "Yo, yo, yo what's up my homies?" Ginny and Eileen laughed, I stared helplessly at him, he always did this.

"O.k, see you later guys." I picked up my purse and shopping bags, and headed towards the exit of The Leaky Cauldron, looping my arm through Dads as i went. Eileen, Ginny and I waved goodbye.

"Where's Marisa?" Dad asked imploringly.

The memory of recent events came to mind again and i sighed. "Don't ask." Dad shut up, confused. Did Marisa really think I was that bad of a friend? Why does she hate me now all of a sudden? We were all fine when we were out having a good time. Who knew with Marisa really. Eileen would, those two are closer than Ginny and I ever were.

Back in the car Dad cranked the radio and we sang every song until we got home. Every once in awhile we would hear a muffled sneeze from under the blanket in the back seat. (Penelope was allergic to cotton). But we pretended not to notice.

Back at home mom didn't say anything to me. Penelope acted in her usual bratty habits, Dad read the newspaper and payed the bills, and i spent a few hours browsing the internet. Browsing Facebook, watching pointless videos on YouTube, and searching things like "How to say Satyr." on Google. Although Marisa and Conner weighed on my mind like weights that i wasnt able to lift on my own. Everything kept coming back to the book from Florish and Blotts.

That night when i was reading my normal muggle books and fangirling over ships and headcannons by myself, i heard a voice, a soft speaking voice coming from my purse from today. Silently i got out of bed and crept to the chair, where my bag lay. This time, more clearly, a definite male voice boomed from the red satchel. It was a miracle nobody came awake it was so loud.

"JO! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I've waited in that infernal purse forever! Merlin's beard! How long does it take for you to look down!"

The voice nearly made me jump five feet in the air! If the ceiling wasn't there i would have blast right out of my bedroom. From my hiding spot in the closet, I peeked around the ajar door at my angry echoing bag. "What are you?" I hushed.

"I'm Claude." he hushed back. "And if you don't mind i would like to come out now."

As if i was realising my rudeness, I walked over to the chair and reached inside my purse. My hands found Hogwarts; A History.

The back was smooth as ever, I turned it around and on the cover was a face! A 3D face, shaded purple like the cover of the book, 'Claude' had deep blue eyes, a crooked nose and narrow lips, he looked to be about sixteen, he smiled widely. "Hi" He said flirtatious.

"Ah!" I dropped the book afraid Clause might bite my thumbs.

"Ow." He said. "That hurt. Do you mind?"

"Sorry. What are you?" I asked, picking the book back up again.

"I'm not a _what_, I'm a _who_." Claude sounded impatient. He looked impatient too.

"Your Claude." I said, uncertainty overcoming by busy brain.

"I'm Claude," He said, "The Marauder's map."


	4. Mornings

It was 2:00 in the morning and I was still awake. Sitting cross-legged on my quilted bed, talking to Claude. His book stood propped up by a pillow facing me. Surrounding us were chocolate bar wrappers, a number of assorted books and a bowl of popcorn I braved to go make in the soundless kitchen.

"So" Claude said, sounding rather annoyed. "What do you want to know?" Claude and I have talked non-stop trying to get as much information from each other as possible. While I wanted to know all about him, why he was in a book, how did you get inside Florish and Blotts, and why was he so sassy? Claude did not show the slightest intrigue or interest in me, all he cared to know about was who was minister for magic, had the goblins been banished, and who was the top quidditch team of the season.

"Everything!" I exclaimed, I shoved a handful of popcorn in my mouth, which had been adorned with butter, salt, and vinegar! Ginny loathes vinegar in popcorn.

"Well, I was created when your parents were in Hogwarts, although i never met them-"

"They're muggles." I interrupted.

"whatever, anyway i was created by the Marauder's four, Prongs, Padfoot, Moony and Wormtail. Quite stupid they were, together they made a 'Marauder's map' on parchment. When Padfoot saw how useful it was, he wanted one for his own, so he took his copy of Hogwarts; A History, and he created me." If Claude had arms, he would have gestured to his old and worn book-self. Although since Claude doesn't have arms, he simply beamed and looked happy.

I just stared impressed at Claude. How had a mere third year created a human soul and imprisoned it in a book!

"That's amazing!" I said awed.

"I guess" Claude looked doubtful. "Ever since Padfoot made me he kept handing me down to innocent first years. I've watched them turn into troublemakers. And I guess here's another one. So... I guess you better know how to work me." With a sigh Claude opened his cover to show his crippled yellow pages, he flipped them over three at a time. Inside the book I could glimpse scrawls of ink spread over the many pages, Claude slowed down and the rifling of paper stopped on page 275. A few seconds of stillness followed.

"Now what?" I asked, I was very eager to get started.

"Wait!" Claude snapped the book shut. "To open, because i cant do it my self all the time, you have to kiss my cheek and whisper, _I solemnly swear _I'm_ up to no good." _

Hesitantly I lowered my lips to his cheek, then I whispered softly, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Nothing happened.

Claud's laughter was startling to me, and then i understood. "Hey! C'mon how do I open you?"

Claud's stifled laughter echoed in my room. "The girls fall for that every time!" This annoyed me. "O.k, O.k, To open me..." Claud's laughter faded and his face stopped smiling. "You have to run your hand down my spine, then tap my nose three times."

This all seemed like another trick to me, but I do as I'm told. The book shuddered and sprang open. "Now what?" I asked.

"O.k, so, anyone can open me and see me as a simple Hogwarts; A History book, unless you open me the way you did, then once I am open, You have to tap the page with your wand and say... open sesame."

"Wow," I mused mockingly, "Padfoot was really creative. And isn't that a muggle term?"

"No, he wasn't, and yes, it is." Claude confirmed.

I nodded. This is so weird. Claude shouldn't even exist. I've never heard of a book with a brain. This surely must have been a tricky charm to do. Padfoot must of had help. Who is Padfoot anyway? He, or she, must have been very smart and clever. I don't know why, but my single sentence thoughts confused me.

"Why is your name Claude?" I asked.

"Why is your name Jo? That's a boy's name."

I frowned. "It's short for Josephine." I was starting to get why Claude had been put in the clearance box.

"How did you get into Florish and Blotts?" I asked, I forgot all about the task at hand.

"Do you want to know how to uncover the secrets of Hogwarts or not?"

"Yes!" I said quickly, drawing my attention back to the open book before me.

"Good. Now do as you were instructed."

I got up off my bed and brought out my wand from my desk drawer and brought it to my bed, Claude gave me an annoyed look. I tapped page 276 and said quietly "Open sesame."

Slowly but surely the perfect paragraphs and words on the page began to morph to create a new kind of image. The ink formed a crest, in the middle, it read:

_Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, Proudly Presents;_

_The Second Map in series; _

_The Marauders map!_

_Use wisely as we hope it brings use and adventure your way. _

Entwined around the crest, a green snake snapped playfully at a badgers heel, who snoozed happily at the feet of a restless lion. A great black eagle perched on the tail of the snake, beaming proudly. The Hogwarts mascots all pictured around the crest. Somehow the way the animals acted and scooted around each other reminded me of the students themselves in the four houses. Gryfindors often felt restless and impatient, we always felt like there was something more we could be doing. Guilty. Ravenclaws prided themselves upon their knowledge and understanding of magic. Hufflepuffs were just happy being accepted and involved in the festivities. Slytherins are considered loyal and trustworthy among their own, even though they preyed upon the weak and innocent. Lost in my thoughts I hadn't noticed the lines of ink, snaking their way through the rest of the book.

"This is a map of Hogwarts!" I said

"Now she gets it!" Claude exclaimed.

Just as Claude spook, tiny feet, ink footprints, could be seen strolled on their own around the castle. seeming to belong to no one. Small flags trailed behind the footprints, bearing names. 'Albus Dumbledore' could be seen standing still in the kitchen. 'Minerva McGonagall' was bustling around her office in a frenzy, her name tag could barely keep up with her.

"This show's the entire castle?" I asked.

"Yup." Claude said.

I flipped through a couple of pages, catching glimpses of passageways and secret rooms. Come september first this book will be filled with students!

"Tap a person with your wand and it can show you a debrief of what their doing, how old they are or what they look like. It's really creepy. The first map can't do that, Padfoot installed that after they made me."

Claude indicated, I decided i would wait until there were more interesting people at Hogwarts than the headmaster and the transfiguration teacher, to test out what Claude said.

I gawked at the pages one more time before shutting the book. "So..." I started. "What do you like to do for fun?" I asked Claude.

Claude laughed, as expected "Well, seeing as I don't have any arms. Not a lot really."

"What about mind games? And riddles?"

...

The next morning I woke abruptly due to noisy banging on my bedroom door. My alarm clock said 7:00. I rubbed my eyes and sat up groggy. Claude and I had been up all night playing 20 questions, "In my grandma's suitcase..", riddles and a number of other mind games I'd never heard of. Claude had to teach me how to play, he won those, cheating I expect, not telling me all the rules.

"Good morning" Claude said from his place on my desk.

The banging persisted, and a new kind of noise began. "JOSEPHINE GET UP THIS MINUTE! YOUR GOING TO MISS THE TRAIN! GET A SHOWER FOR GODS SAKES! I CAN SMELL YOUR ROOM FROM THE KITCHEN!" And all at once the shrieking and banging stopped long enough for me to realize what day it was.

Then it was time for me to do some shrieking of my own. "SHIT! GOD DAMMIT! Why didn't you wake me up sooner!?" I yelled. Claude looked shocked.

"ITS 7:OO AM!" He yelled back.

"THATS BESIDE THE POINT!" I shrieked. "You know how hard it is to get me up in the morning?" Ginny and Eileen nearly have to drag me out of bed just for breakfast.

"Sorry!" Claude said, saying each syllable indignantly.

In a rush I got out of bed and pulled out my empty trunk from my closet.

Claude tried to give me helpful advice while I frantically scurried around my room grabbing everything in sight and tossed it in a pile on my trunk.

"Don't forget your toothbrush!" I ran to the bathroom to get my toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, floss; anything related to that room that i might need.

"And your clothes!" I ran to my closet to assemble my uniforms and weekend wear, pajama's, cloak and footwear.

"A-And! your books!" Claud's whole book was shuddering with laughter now; A phone's buzzer going haywire. Claude fell off the desk into a pile of dirty socks.

I ran to my bookshelf, taking more care with my books then my clothes, I stacked them all on top of the mountain of things. I took my school books and pleasure reading books, and extra reading books and my notebooks. Finally I rescued Claude from my smelly socks. As I began to add him to my Hogwarts pile he began to protest.

"No way! Are you putting me in there!" Claude looked at my trunk with pure disgust.

"It's the only way!" I said, not really having time for Claud's complaints, or listening to them the while I packed, I grasped my muggle backpack from the hook behind my door and shoved Claude in it. I grabbed a few smaller books, my change of robes for on the train, a pack of exploding snap cards and some gum to go in as well, so I wasn't dragging around an empty backpack, and Claude.

From the bag I could hear Claude talking to himself.

"Really! Even Padfoot treated me better than this! Oh! I wonder if Bertha is still running the trolley! She was really nice. Can we get some Licorice wands, Jo? _Jo_?" Although I could not hear Claude very well over my own frantic thoughts. _Never, ever, had i been this late trying to get on the train! __What if i miss it? It is now 7:30 and the train leaves at 11:00 precisely, no exceptions! It takes two hours to drive from Little Whinging to London. I have two hours to get out of here! _

I toss everything I think I might need into the pile; Cauldron, dragon skin gloves, alarm clock, pictures. Nearly ten minutes later, everything i might need for my fourth year at Hogwarts was safely tucked into my trunk. The backpack containing Claude lay beside it on my bed, half-open.

"Don't forget your shower!" Shouted Claude.

I rolled my eyes, _try to get me out of the shower._

...

Thirty minutes later Penelope, Mom, Dad and I were all packed into the family roadster, headed for Kings Cross Station. Claude decided to take a nap. From inside the bag i could hear faint snoring, I tried to pass it off as my sore throat.

"Remind me to get you some cough drops before you go." Mom said, she turned around in her seat to face me.

"Yeah," I said, fake coughing. "That's a good idea."

Inside the car dad usually drove, and mom sat in the passenger seat. Penelope sat at the right window, I sat at the left. Penelope only came because she was meeting Percy at the train station, then they were going on a romantic walk around London. Penelope was reminding me constantly of how under-privileged I was.

"It's shameful really how long you've gone without a boyfriend." Penelope whispered to me while we were loading. Dad didn't notice, he was too busy tying my trunk to the roof of the car.

"It's shameful really how long you've gone without a boyfriend." Penelope whispered to me while we were loading. Dad didn't notice, he was too busy tying my trunk to the roof of the car.

"How does Percy count as a boyfriend?" I said back, the best date Percy came up with was polishing their prefect badges together. Penelope huffed and stalked inside the car. She did have a point though, the last date i was on was the yule ball last year, I went with Seamus Finnigan. His accent is adorkable! Sorry, got distracted, anyway the night ended with him being totally knocked out drunk from firewhiskey, a slightly buzzed Josephine and two hairless cats. Don't ask me why, but Seamus was terrified of hairless cats, and someone thought it would be funny if they snuck two of them into the broom cupboard we took refuge in. Long story short, nobody thought it was very manly when he bolted away down the hall, tripped on his own two left feet, then fell asleep, right there on the ground.

"Were here!" Dad shouted and I jumped out of the car, swinging my backpack on to my back. Mom popped the trunk and Penelope ran to get a trolley. Dad heaved my trunk out of the car and plunked it on the ground, I rocked back and forth on my heels nervously.

Penelope came rocketing out of the station hurtling a trolley in front of her.

"Hurry up!" I yelled, "were going to miss the train!"

...

On platform 9 3/4 Ginny and her family could easily be spotted attempting to lug seven trunks and three cages on to the train. She waved to us frantically. Happy just to see the red train still in its slot, I kissed mom and dad's cheeks, gave them each a hug and rolled the trolley away from my family.

"Hey Ginny!" I said to her. "What's up?"

"Oh, not a lot. We can't get the trunks on the train and it leaves in five minutes."

"Have you tried the Levitation charm?" I asked.

"No." Ginny wasn't much for remembering spells, although she prided herself on her bat bogey hex.

"That's a good idea Josephine." muttered Mr. Weasley, he was straining under the weight of Fred's trunk and didn't look like he was in the right place for chit-chat.

There was a scraping of heels and I knew that Mom and Dad had come to say a proper good-bye.

"Josephine! you left without us saying good-bye!" Mom whined. "Don't forget to brush and floss. You have that small cavity in the back don't forget. Remember to be nice and hygienic, don't talk back to your teachers, and work hard in every subject!" Mom handed me a plastic bag, which sagged heavily in the middle.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Just something for your school days, I know your other one broke."

I smiled, she _was_ childish at times, but she's still my mom. I gave her a hug, her arms wrapped tightly around my shoulders, I was nearly her height now.

Dad looked down at me, he was much taller than Mom.

"Have fun." He said, I hugged him goodbye then boarded the train.

...

In our compartment, Ginny, Fred, George and I sat alone. Eileen and Marisa chose another compartment, I remember how Marisa stopped outside the sliding door, stuck her nose in the air then marched away, a guilty Eileen trailing her.

"What's got her in a sour mood?" Wondered Fred

"Nothing" I said, he probably still doesn't know about Marisa's distress toward him.

The train ride, so far, was uneventful. The four of us played exploding snap, the trolley woman, Bertha, came by. I got some Licorice wands for Claude, and some cauldron cakes and chocolate frogs for myself. The ride was calming and I didn't have to worry about a lot until; who better to walk by our compartment than Conner. Unluckily, Ginny happen to notice my smiling haze and a whip of Conner's robes.

"Um, Jo?"

"Hmmm?" I mumbled stupidly.

"I'm kind of craving some sugar quills. Might you go and get me some?"

"Oh!" Piped up George. "And some of Drooble's Best Blowing gum?"

"An-and some Jelly slugs!" Added Fred.

And before I knew what was going on I had been shoved into the narrow, crowded hallway, with a handful of change in my hand. I looked back into the compartment, Fred and George smirked to themselves and Ginny looked smug. I shook a fist at her and she raised her arms, as if to say "You'll thank me later." The trolley was just a few compartments ahead and Conner was browsing the rows of candy. Faking confidence I waltzed up to Bertha and ordered what Ginny and her brother's had wanted.

"Hey!" Conner said looking up to me. A moment of panic ensued, I desperately hope my hair still looked the way I intended it to this morning. "A gryfindor? Not surprised"

"Yeah," I said, never had my cheeks felt so red. "Ravenclaw right?"

Conner nodded, "So? Enjoying that book?"

"Yeah, it's a real page turner." _If only you knew._

Suddenly a voice sounded down the rail car, "Hey, The trolley's stopped!" And a huge flock of students crushed toward the candy trolley. Conner and I were pressed together, and all at once his arms were around me, pulling me away from the mass of candy-deprived students.

On our way away from everyone, one straggler, one with flaming red hair, stuck out her foot, I tripped over it and fell dramatically further into Conner's embrace. He steadied me and backed up, but left his hands on my shoulders, my own hands grasping his elbows.

"Are you O.k?" He asked, smiling a little to himself.

"Yeah," I said, smiling as well. "Thanks."

"No problem." He said reassuringly, then he paused, like he remembered something. "I still owe you a butterbeer."

"Oh, no you don't have to." I said, trying to be modest. Then i realized that i must seem like I don't want to go for a butterbeer with him. Quickly I tried to mend the gap I just created. "I mean, unless you want to, which-I-I would be fine with, not unless you don't want to take me anywhere than, that's cool too. But if _you_ wanted to." _Smooth Jo._ Finally I gave in to my humiliation. "A butterbeer would be nice."

Conner laughed lightly and dropped his hands to his sides, I did the same.

"First Hogsmeade weekend?" He asked coolly.

"Sure" I said, smiling happily.

Conner turned and sauntered back to his compartment. As he walked away I noticed something I hadn't before. Conner's blond hair was shorter at the bottom, and longer at the top. His smart, cute glasses were perched on the bridge of his nose. One of his shoes was untied and he had a long neck, and a limber, but strong, build. I couldn't explain why I hadn't noticed these things before, it was as if I was seeing him for the first time in my life.

I seemed to wander through the hallway until I found our cabin, Hermione had decided to join us as well. Ginny was smiling to herself and kept glancing at me suspiciously.

"Where's our sweets?" Asked Fred. "Oh. We'll get it."

Then Fred and George left and the moment the door slid shut behind them I asked.

"Was it you who tripped me?" Ginny nodded rather fast. Like she was glad to be ridding herself of the guilt. "Are you two going out?"

I nodded too. Ginny squealed. Hermione flinched at the sound. "Who with?" She asked.

"Conner." I said "From ravenclaw."

"Does Conner have a last name?" Hermione persisted. This struck me.

"Uhmmmm..."


	5. Draco

"Ummmmm…" I said again.

Hermione looked at me expectantly, and then smiled. "Well?"

"Ummmm… I think its Timmen." I answered.

"No," Ginny said, shaking her head. "I thought it was Linnard."

Hermione shrugged "Who knows." She said.

"I do." Said a voice, and it was the kind of voice you didn't normally hear with nice girls. A pretty blond girl with a sparkly turquoise blue pendant hanging around her neck opened the sliding door and marched in, hands on her hips.

"You wanted to know Conner's last name?" She said rather bossily.

"Yeah," Ginny challenged.

The girl glared at Ginny, it was only then, that I noticed the girl's blue necktie. She was in Ravenclaw.

"It's Lennox, by the way." She said it like we should already now, which _I _should. Not so much the others. "And why do you want to know anyway?"

"That's for us to know and you to find out." Hermione said. Hermione was such a boss.

"Who are you anyway?" I asked the rude girl.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." The girl said. And with that, she stuck her nose in the air and swaggered out. At Hogwarts, there are many kinds of walks, a saunter, an amble, a slump, but this girl swaggered, she leaned back, stuck out her shoulders and she swaggered out of the compartment.

Hermione scoffed, being the prefect she was… "Well! I never!" She crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. Ginny looked outraged. "Who does she think she is?" She complained.

"I don't know," I said, rather shocked; myself. What kind of girl would come in and start that kind of thing on purpose? Nobody I've met yet at Hogwarts.

Just then Fred and George stalked into the compartment. Carrying sweets and bundles of pastries. "You should have seen it! Everyone wanted something from the trolley! Were lucky we made it out, here Ginny…" George stopped talking when he saw everyone's angry faces. "… I got your Sugar quills…" George's tone and rhythm dipped dramatically in enthusiasm. The twins looked around the compartment. "Who poisoned your pumpkin juice?"

"That blond girl from Ravenclaw!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Oh," Said Fred, setting his candy aside and sitting down beside Hermione. "That's Veronica Hughes, she's Fudge's niece."

Hermione, Ginny and I gawked at the twins. But the boys looked placidly back at them and just nodded.

"You better get changed. We only have an hour until we get there." Fred and George got up again and walked out, small smiles playing on their faces, probably due to the other shocked faces in the compartment.

…

"How is that _weasel_ related to Fudge?" Ginny said indignantly, she struggled to get her trunk out of the luggage rack. I tugged on the handle as well, trying to help.

"I know!" I said in the same voice. "Why was she so onto us about Conner?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Hermione said, also pulling out her robes. "She likes Conner and she wants you off her case."

I sat down to think about this, if Veronica knows Conner, and there in the same house, and Veronica is feeling threatened, then they must be close, but if they were close, why would Conner be so nice, and if he _was _flirting, then Veronica would defiantly have something to be threatened over-unless they were just friends and Veronica is super protective-

"Stop!" Ginny said. She took down her clothes and started taking off her shoes. "Your overthinking, you bite your nails when you're overthinking.

Self-consciously I lowered my nail beds from my mouth and resigned myself to changing into my robes. Sighing I reached for my backpack that had lain still on the seat in the compartment since I got on. Very unluckily as I pulled the bag to me a certain purple covered book slid to the ground at Hermione's feet.

"Oh here-"Hermione started to say.

"Wait!" I reached out to Hermione to stop her, but it was too late, Hermione turned over the book, as I watched her face turn from ordinary, to overly excited and ecstatic.

"Hi." Claude said. "Who're you? Where's Jo?"

"Hermione, just wait, you can't tell anyone."

Hermione glanced once at me, pure shock on her face. Hermione squealed once hugged the book to her chest and darted out of the compartment and down the hallway faster than we could believe she could run. She didn't even care to shut the door properly behind her, and Ginny, already having her jeans and sweater off shouted irritably after her. I quickly shut the door, concealing Ginny in the compartment, and began to quick walk down the hall.

"Hermione!" I shouted after her. She was already at the end of the car and quickly dashed into an empty compartment. My walk turned into a jog and I was soon running down the hallway. Suddenly a door opened to the right of me and a body was forced into my path, we stumbled to the side, uncomfortably grasping each other for balance.

Without realizing who it was, I said, "Oh, sorry." Looking apologetically into his smooth green eyes.

"No trouble, just make sure it happens again." Said Draco Malfoy. He smiled warmly. For once. Without realizing I was noticing, I noticed his sleek blond hair was ruffled in the front, and the top three buttons of his white shirt were undone, somehow this was oddly drawing. It was a little unnatural for me to be noticing these things, especially on a Slytherin.

I smiled weakly at him and turned to walk away, Desperately fighting the urge to blush. "Hey!" He yelled back to me. I turned around. "What's your name?" I smiled back again and decided to use the same come back that Veronica used on us. "That's for me to know, and you to find out." Draco laughed and was soon pulled back into his friends company.

...

Quietly I slipped into the compartment that Hermione was in. She was talking profusely with Claude.

"Tell! This girl! That she is a kidnapper and I belong to you!" Exclaimed Claude.

"Hermione, Claude belongs to me, you have kidnapped him." I said sarcastically.

"It has a name!?" She forced.

"Claude." I confirmed.

"Can I have him?" Hermione asked.

"Uhmmmm, I don't know Hermione."

"Please?"

"You can borrow him."

"YES!" Looking extremely happy Hermione handed Claude back to me, and walked back out of the compartment.

"What kind of looney is that?" Claude asked.

"The special kind." I said back. I held the book close so it looked natural and headed back down the hallway to our original compartment.

Taking special care to not run into anyone, I walked down the hallway, but apparently I wasn't careful enough, for just as I was speeding past Draco's place on the train, a male body pushed into me again, nearly knocking me of my feet. A pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me straight again. It was Draco. Of course.

"Hey," he said, smiling once he saw my face. "You kept your promise!"

I smiled instinctively. "Well, not sure it was that, so much my clumsiness and my habit of running people down."

Draco laughed. His teeth were perfect, straight and white. Suddenly there was a loud interruption.

"Excuse me!" Hermione said, barging head first into our moment. Draco's smile slid of his face and was replaced with an ugly sneer.

"Do you know who this is?" She asked me.

"Um, Draco? I presume?" I gestured in his direction.

"From Slytherin." She ended.

"Since when are Ravenclaw and Slytherin enemies, mudblood?" Draco asked, and as he said so; he slung an arm across my shoulders. Shock and embarrassment showed on my face like a flare on a clear night. Good thing Draco didn't see. Draco thinks I'm a Ravenclaw; He is against muggle-borns. This ruin's the moment.

"Umm. Actually Draco, I have to go finish some homework."

Being from 'Ravenclaw', this made sense in his brain. Although it didn't click that, we don't officially get homework until tomorrow.

"Sure," He said smiling once more. "See you later?"

"Yeah…" I said dreamily, forgetting for a moment that Hermione was glaring at us from behind.

….

Walking out of the great hall, I felt like a plague had been spread throughout the school, like there was something strange and unfamiliar here. Ginny thought I must mean Umbridge.

"She sounds evil, she even LOOKS evil." She said.

I laughed contently, I was full, and the feast was delicious as usual; the chicken pot pie was my favourite. Something else I noticed too was as I was walking up the main stairs to Gryffindor tower, was Conner waving to me. I smiled and waved back. Conner _was_ cute. Cuter than normal. I couldn't resist, I even blushed.

…

Back in our tower everyone kept to themselves, we all just wanted to sleep, but my mind kept a buzz with new information it had never acquired before. But before anything could be thought over, I noticed a small plastic bag, one that weighed heavily in the middle. I reached inside and pulled it out the object; I beamed, once I realized what it was. I set it down on the chair next to my bed and sat admiring it for a few stolen moments.

"Hey Jo?" Asked Ginny, from her bed beside my own.

"What?" I asked back.


	6. Breakfast with the twins

"Do you think Harry likes me?"

I have been asked this question many times; Ginny was always wondering the inevitable.

"I think he hasn't realized he likes you yet." I said back, I pulled back the scarlet bedcovers and squirmed into the right sleeping position. "Don't dwell upon the inevitable." I advised wisely.

"That's just the thing! It's not inevitable, nothing is inevitable." I could practically see Ginny waving her arms around in a panic through the bed curtains.

"Mouldy cheese is inevitable if you leave it out of the refrigerator." I said sarcastically.

"You know what I mean." She said back quietly.

"Just give the time, some time." I hushed. And with that, our conversation dropped and we fell asleep; an unspoken agreement.

…

"JOSEPHINE!" Ginny was yelling at me to hurry up. "Class starts in less than 30 minutes and you still don't have your timetable!"

I couldn't find my damn shoes! "I can't leave until I have my other shoe."

"Its right here!" Ginny tossed me my left Mary Jane. Everyone had to wear the same classic black Mary Jane's, but they were better than nurse's shoes. "Now let's go!"

In a hassle I grabbed my school bag and a thick hair elastic.

Ginny beat me down the stairs and into the common room, which was half full of students milling around the fireplace. Ginny seemed to be confirming something with a sixth year there. Still feeling tired from earlier I swooped up all my hair and pulled it into a messy bun. Ginny came back over holding a stack of parchment. "Here's your timetable." She said. I took it from her without glancing at it and shoved it into my bag, I started straightening my uniform. My socks were not tucked in properly. My skirt was not facing frontwards. My shirt wasn't done up the way it was meant to be done up. Ginny had been so hooked on getting us up on time that she didn't bother to check the clock.

"We still have an hour!" I said to her.

But Ginny's attention was instead caught by something else. "Here he comes!" And without another word, she grasped my wrist and pulled me to the ring of armchairs. Ginny pushed me into one and sat herself in a stiff leather one facing the dormitories. And finally, I realized why Ginny had been so moved to get out of bed.

With a small click the boys dormitory door popped open and out walked Ron, and Harry. Ginny busied herself with a book she really had no interest in, and began peering out the top.

"Morning, Ginny, Jo." Said Ron, who walked by first.

"Morning." Harry repeated, nodding toward Ginny. She nodded back nonchalantly, like she didn't even notice Harry had walked by so suddenly. The moment the two boys stepped out of the portrait hole Ginny slumped and sighed dramatically.

"You are so crushing on him." I said teasingly.

Ginny only blushed.

"You need to make him jealous!" I said it like it was the best idea ever. And it was, Ginny could get a guy with a wave of her hand. Harry would have to notice because all her older brothers will be monitoring her every move. Ginny just laughed. "That's the stupidest idea ever!" She proclaimed.

"No seriously!" I said.

"That's the oldest trick in the book!" Fred and George had sauntered over from their position by the fireplace to come and eavesdrop on us. "But it will get his attention."

"Duh." I said.

"Well, we won't care. It's about time Ginny had a boyfriend." At this Ginny stuck out her tongue. "But Ron will be pissing mad when he finds out." Said Fred.

"He's almost as bad as Percy." George added.

"Except Percy actually knows how to tie a bowtie." Fred relayed this information like it was the worst possible news someone could ever hear.

I cracked a smile, "Can't Ron tie a bowtie?"

Fred smirked, "Nope." The twins seemed to forget all about the 'making people jealous' thing and walked casually away.

Meanwhile Ginny was staring at me; a brilliant mastermind plan was forming in my head. "Remember how you started talking to Michael last year after the yule ball?" I asked.

"Yeah," said Ginny. Michael was a Ravenclaw in Conner's year.

"Well… date him!" I said. "Date Michael and get Harry's attention it'll work!"

"I don't know…" Ginny mused.

"C'mon, I'm not going to force you but think about it!"

Ginny looked at me doubtfully for one moment then suggested we go down for breakfast.

There usually weren't a lot of people wandering around the halls in the morning, a few students they met walking down to the great hall, the odd first year, and the odd seventh year who still couldn't remember to bring his school bag downstairs with him. At the opening of the great hall, a cluster of students craned their necks around each other to catch a peek at the quidditch practice schedules. Ginny joined the unite. Inside the great hall everyone was seated at their tables or wandering to and fro, all the teachers were up and seated, even that Umbridge lady from the ministry. She was wearing an ugly pink wool cardigan over a frilly top and matching skirt. I turned my attention back to gryfindor table and chose a seat halfway down the table beside Fred. You might think it odd that a brother might spend a lot of time with his sister and her friend, but really, Ginny, the twins and I are really close, we even have inside jokes.

"Morning…" Fred said creepily.

I looked at him funny, he only said that line when there was some kind of couple around, and he was feeling extra giddy. "What?"

"Looks like you have an admirer." Fred winked and with his head, indicated toward the slytherin table.

I turned around, Draco had been staring at me from his table, and he saw me looking then blushed deeply and turned to his empty plate. I turned back around, blushing myself. Fred gazed at me intently, "Oh." I said.

"You must really have captured Draco's heart; he never showed any emotion for anyone. Except maybe 'hate' for Harry."

"Since when are you involved in the love lives of mere fourth years?" I asked.

"Ever since you 'accidentally' fell into Draco on the train yesterday." George said from across the table, he took a bite of waffle, syrup dribbling from his chin.

"That _was_ an accident!" I said, then I realised something. "Did a lot of people see that?"

"Practically all of Hogwarts saw it, _Desperation." _George waved his hand in an arch over his head when he said 'desperation'. I laughed and pulled his hand down. "Shut up, it wasn't that obvious."

"Honey," Fred batted his hand at an invisible fly. "Muggles could of seen that!"

George, Fred and I disappeared into fits of laughter and we didn't stop until we heard an interruptive little cough.

"_Hem…_ _hem."_ Fred and I turned around to face the short pinked figure of Professor Umbridge. "_Hem,_"

"Might you need a cough drop Professor?" George asked irritably.

"No, no, thank you, Mr… Um?" Professor Umbridge had a soft, high voice, and she spoke like she was trying to sweet

+talk a child to get down of the roof.

"Weasley." George answered.

"Of course." She said, "Well, I was wondering if maybe you could keep it down a touch? Only that we teachers were trying to discuss something very important."

I looked around the great hall, everyone was still abuzz with talk, and the same tone, no one near us seemed even slightly bothered by us.

"Of course." I said. Professor Umbridge smiled primly and walked away. George scowled and shoveled his next fork full of waffle into his mouth. "She seems like a bitch to be around on purpose."

"I know, " said Fred, "She was sent here by Fudge, they suppose Dumbledore isn't teaching us ministry approved lessons."

I scowled. Just as this thought popped into my head, Conner came by and sat down in the chair opposite me, beside George.

"Hey Jo." He said casually.

I nearly spat my orange juice all over the table I was so surprised. "Hey, Conner." I said, George glided his hand in a straight line, mid-air. _Smooth._

"So, I was wondering if you wanted to go-" He cleared his throat "Umm, for a walk sometime?"

I smiled, "Yeah, that'd be great!"

Conner had begun to retrace his offer when I accepted. "Really? O.K, tomorrow after school?"

"Yeah," Conner smirked happily, usually a smirk is used for someone who means to look smug, or confident, but Conner looked happy when he smirked. "See you'." And then he left.

I smiled brightly, unable to control it.

Fred took a sip of his pumpkin juice. "This school really needs to ramp up its dating creativity."

"Where might you take someone?" I asked him.

"He would take someone pranking." Said George.

"Guilty!"

Suddenly there was a great scraping of chairs and everyone at once stood up from their seats. Standing up too, I stretched my arms around my head. _Well, back into the lions mouth for another year._


	7. Hot Pink Potion

My timetable looks like this…

Period 1: Tranfiguration with ravenclaws. Period 2: Potions with the slytherins. Period 3: Herbology with the hufflepuffs. Period 4: History of Magic with the gryfindors, then double charms, with just fourth years from all the houses.

Ginny and I followed Professor McGonagall to her class room. Ginny wasn't speaking and was contemplating a lot; I could see the gears in her head turning. And she kept mumbling strange things.

"Well, if I asked… maybe he wouldn't take it that way?" She kept talking to herself. I shook my head at her and peeked inside my bag, I snuck Claude in it when Eileen and Marisa weren't looking. Marisa's attitude was still worse as ever toward us. She glared at us every time she even glanced at our shoes, She never looked us in the eye, when we came into the same room; she would leave. This bugs me, forever Ginny and I have been putting up with Marisa's dramatics, I understand she is pressured and has a hard time at home. But does she really need to start unnecessary commotion, and Eileen goes along with it! She's just too nice to say something to her! Ginny doesn't get mad about that kind of thing; she just ignores it, although for me, I can't stand it.

Marisa is a pure-blood, her family aren't death eaters or anything, but they are all about pure-breeding. Her parents have a big influence on her. Her mother is the Minister for magic's secretary, and her father is a judge in the court rooms. The family has very little friends, they're only connections really are coworkers and Marisa's friends from Hogwarts.

Ginny and I emerged from the hallway into the transfiguration classroom, and chose a seat near the front, although most of the good seats were taken by the ravenclaws.

"Okay class, today we will be learning the fundamental laws of matter; contorting into different matter." McGonagall swooped around her desk and dropped her books onto it, she waved her wand and the piece of chalk rose into the air, and started to scratch words onto the blackboard. There was a shuffling of parchment as everyone brought out there supplies and started to copy down McGonagall's notes.

The hour passed by normally. Lecture. Notes. Practice. Homework. McGonagall had a system.

It was nice to be back at Hogwarts, The hallways were always my favourite place on the grounds. To everyone it was just a way for travel, but I enjoyed the time we had between classes. Ginny and I shuddered when we slumped down the dungeon stairs. It was freezing down here!

Inside the dungeon classroom, everyone was filling into their seats. "Sit, down!" Drawled a dull voice. Professor Snape had come in and was pulling out jars of ingredients down from a shelf. "This is Draco; he will be my assistant this year." Snape waved his hand, addressing the tall lean figure in the doorway. I looked back and our eyes clicked. Draco's smile faded and turned into a scowl. I matched his emotion and turned to the front.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked.

"Nothing," I muttered. Ginny doesn't know about Draco and I. "I'll tell you later."

Draco passed without a word. "Today." Started Snape. "We will be making a simple colour changing potion. This potion can change the colour of anything you pour it upon. The ingredient's you need can be found on the desk. Work with a partner. The person who finishes first can turn Susie purple." A small slytherin girl several rows down open her mouth to protest but Snape had moved on. "You may begin now. The pairs are on the board." Snape waved his wand and a list of students wrote themselves upon it.

"What?" Ginny said. "I'm with Susie Mills!" She is the slytherin girl Snape threatened. "Who're you with?"

My eyes read the blackboard. "I'm with Draco!"

"Oh, that sucks! He's a pig." But I was dreading more than what Ginny thought.

Susie Mills came over and pulled Ginny over to her table, Ginny flashed me an apologetic look.

Draco waltzed over and sat down in the chair Ginny had just left. "Hello Josephine," He said, not looking me in the eye.

"It's just Jo, actually."

"Here's the deal, Jo," Draco turned to me; he sliced the air with his hand. He looked like he was about to come over here and try to be nice. But it seems that only one sentence from me set him off. "I don't know what you're playing at! Why didn't you tell me you were in Gryffindor?"

"Does it matter?" I said.

"Yes! It does! Anything else you want to tell me before I start flirting with you again?"

"Umm," I wasn't sure I should tell him the truth or not. "I am also a muggle-born."

Draco winced; like that information physically hurt him. "Alright Jo," He paused after saying my name. "Go get the supplies."

Mumbling slightly, I stood up and went to go get the supplies. When I came back Draco had a fire going under the cauldron and was filling it with water. "Here." I said. I wasn't happy either with Draco's house; he just was more open with his annoyance.

"Now cut the berry roots." I opened my potions book and checked the instructions. "Would I lie to you?" He said, showing some of his annoyance then.

"Yes." I said, but I picked up the knife and started chopping the roots into even squares.

"Careful! Geez you're going to cut yourself!" I smirked playfully at him; his concerned face was just too cute. "For a slytherin, you're pretty nice, kind of." I said.

"Don't get used to it. This act is only up for a short while."

"How so?" I slid the cut up roots off the cutting board and into the cauldron.

"I'm not really friends with any of them."

"How so?" I asked again. While I talked, I read the instructions and started crushing the berry tree berries. As I did so, our potion was bubbling wildly and was turning an ugly shade of grey.

"You don't waste any time do you?"

"Nope." I said, The berries had made the potion stop bubbling, and had calmed down to a simmer, it was now a peri-winkle blue.

"Well, Crabbe and Goyle are so dumb they probably couldn't tell a Rookwood tree from a wormwood bush." Even I couldn't tell the difference. That's another thing I admire about Draco, even though he doesn't like to show it, he was actually really smart. "Pansy is just plain ugly and is so 'in love' with me she can't even see what a bad person I am." I giggled at this and Draco smiled at me. "Blaise is the only semi-normal one in slytherin, Though he can be rather big-headed." He ended.

The instructions now said to hand pull out the eyes of a beetle and drop three of them in the Cauldron, stir three times counter clockwise, then three times clockwise. I did what the book said and watched the potion turn purple.

I turned to Draco and tried to find his sleeve, I found his hand instead and tugged on it. "Is this still how it's supposed to look?" I asked. Draco frowned.

"Did you put in the cinnamon?"

"What?"

"Oh dear…" And without warning the cauldron started to quake, the potion started to turn a rainbow of colours. Then, more surprising than the potion, Draco hugged me 'round the middle and dove us both under a desk (I threw my arms around his neck as to help him move me.) _Just_ before the potion exploded, coating everything it reached in a thick mixture of hot pink. Draco and I were still entwined together under the desk; his arms were around my back. We looked at each other and smiled at the same time. Slowly we peeled away from each other and surveyed the damage. Everything in the dingy, dark dungeon room was plastered with hot pink potion. It was splayed around the walls, dripping off desks, and pooled around peoples feet on the floor. But the best of all was Snape, who just so happened was coming over to inspect our progress, and got the full blast of it. His robe was splattered with the vibrant color, It was even in his greasy hair, at least now he'll _have_ to wash it.

"Malfoy! Clearwater!" He trembled. "What kind of disaster is this?"

"Were sorry professor Snape, it was my fault-"Draco was trying to cover for me.

"No excuses!" He yelled. "Twenty points from Gryffindor! Detentions for you both! Tomorrow night, 7:00! You are dismissed!" Snape waved his hand and the potion cleared from everyone's clothes, the walls and the furniture. But it would not come off the floors. "DRACO!" He barked

"Yes?" Draco said timidly, that was an odd tone on him.

"Go fetch Mr. Filch, he can clean this up!"

Draco nodded and accompanied me out of the dungeon.

"Thanks." I said I was expecting him to be hopping mad; he was usually the teacher's pet in that class.

"No trouble. Just, make sure it happens again." We laughed together. "See you tomorrow." He said, and then he took off down a dungeon hallway.

...

"Why are you so happy?" Ginny asked curiously. "If it were me, I would of slapped Draco!"

"Why?" I asked. Ginny had been horrified when Draco saved me from my hot pink doom. It had taken her from the dungeons to the great hall for lunch to get over it.

"Because…" Although she didn't sound like she had a legitimate answer. She swallowed her mouthful of sub. "Because he grabbed your waist, and he's a pig."

"He saved me." I said back.

Ginny shrugged, she just didn't get it. Apparently all of Slytherin and Gryffindor had heard of the catastrophe in the dungeons. And I was repeatedly getting thanked by the twins.

"He had it coming." George said.

"Never really favored him." Said Fred.

"I didn't mean to!" I said half laughing half just trying to get two words in.

"Well, whatever you did." Interrupted Harry. He was sitting on the other side of Fred, he Hermione and Ron were talking secretly, and have been all day. "Do it again."

"Oh, I will." I said, thinking of Draco. Luckily none of the others clued into my inside joke. I tell Ginny everything, and she tells me everything, but I don't know if I could ever tell her about my feelings for Draco.

Today for lunch, mainly there were subs and chips, and cold macaroni, but I didn't touch any of it. My mind was overtaken by Draco, and he felt evil, like he was invading there on purpose and knew exactly what he was doing. He seemed to know me best, better than Conner got. Conner got my likes and dislikes. My personality. But Draco just... gets me. I cant explain it. I'm terrible with words.

"Jo? hey Jo?" Ginny was waving her hand in front of my eyes.

"I'm alive." I spat stupidly.

"Who's Claude?" She asked.

"Ummmm..." How was I going to tell her?


	8. Drama

"Well... " I said.

Ginny was looking expectantly at me, "Is he your new boyfriend?" Suddenly Ginny smiled knowingly and nudged my shoulder. "Is that why you've been so distant today?"

"Not exactly." Ginny thought that Claude was my boyfriend? HA! "He's more of an acquaintance." I said.

Ginny laughed. "Oh, o.k, Jo. Well, guess what?"

"What?"

Ginny was practically bursting with anticipation. "I have a date with Michael!"

"That's great!"

Ron, who seemed to have been eaves dropping on our conversation, perked up his ears and turned to us.

"Umm, excuse me?"

"Your excused." I said.

Ron ignored me. "You aren't going on a date! Who is this Michael person?"

"He's in Ravenclaw..." Ginny informed.

"Oh, great, another smart mouth!"

Ginny's face color deepened red. "He is not!"

"All Ravenclaws are! You don't have to go flaunting yourself about! Harry's NOT interested." Ron protested.

Ginny looked ready to smack Ron. Just because I can get a date within 24 of school and you cant; even after five years! Seriously Ron, your not dad!" Ginny picked up her bag, got up and left the table. From the other side of the hall, Ginny could be seen talking to Michael, she kissed his cheek and walked out again. Ron's ears had turned red and he, was, furious.

"I can't believe her!" Ron said. Then he too stood up and stormed after Ginny.

I giggled quietly.

"Hey Jo!"

"Hey!" I said without realizing who was sitting beside me, I was expecting Fred or George.

Draco ran his hand through his hair and looked up, though his head was tilted down slightly. "Whatcha doing?"

Suddenly I was flustered and fiddled with my red tie. "Oh, just sitting down. I was about to head for class actually."

"Oh really? I'll walk you."

That's how I found myself walking and talking with Draco.

"So how are your classes so far?" He asked.

"So far so good, except for that one detention." I smiled reassuringly at him. I didn't want to openly invite him flirt, but I didn't want to push him away either.

"Yeah sorry about that."

"No I should be thanking you. If you hadn't of moved me I would be picking pink potion out of my hair forever!"

Draco laughed, but it was a held back kind of laugh. Granted it wasn't a very good joke. "Hey, I was wondering... umm. I don't want Blaise to know about this. But would you maybe like to... umm."

"Yes?" I said, drawing out the word. If this is what I think he's going to ask. How am I going to tell Conner? Would I even say yes to Draco? Why do they both have to be so perfect?

"Hey, Jo!" A tall figure wearing glasses was quickly striding toward us. It was Conner! Of course. "Hey, I wanted to know if you could tell me..." Conner's confidence faltered when he saw Draco. "Who's this?"

"This is Draco." I placed my hand on his shoulder for a moment before dropping it. "Draco this is Conner."

"Hello," Conner held out his hand but didn't smile. Draco ignored the hand and looked to me. "I'll talk to you later." Then he glared at Conner like he was his worst enemy, and walked away.

I stared wistfully after him. His long legs gave him big strides, he shoved his hands in his pockets and hung his head. I pulled on my school bag and bit my lip out of habit.

"Hey Jo?" Conner asked.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"I was wondering if you could tell me when Michael and Ginny are going on their date."

"Oh, sorry Ginny didn't tell me that."

"O.k. No its fine, I was just wondering if maybe you and I could tag along, as friends."

As friends? As long as its _just _friends. "Yeah, that sounds like fun."

"Really?" Conner asked, he didn't sound hopeful of glad. Just surprised by my answer.

"Well, I don't know, if your going to. Then I can't let you be the third wheel."

"Ugh! I know, don't you hate that?" Looks like Conner and I found something in common.

I smiled, "Yes! Marisa once made me go on a date with her and Fred. But it was more like she came on a date with Fred and I. Marisa barely talked and all she wanted to do was hold his hand!"

Conner laughed and dropped one leg. "Really?"

I nodded.

"That sounds horrible!"

"It was."

"I remember one time, Michael had a date that was so short, he made me get on my hands and knees, so they could kiss each other goodnight."

I laughed. "And she was wearing heels!" He exclaimed.

We both laughed and faded into silence. "I'll talk to Ginny, you talk to Michael?" I asked.

"Sure" He said, but before he even turned away, he stepped closer and whispered. "Oh, and I wouldn't spend so much time alone with Draco Malfoy."

My smile faded and my look turned into a worried one. "Why?" I asked.

"You know his family history."

I do. Ron and Harry talk of nothing else. He comes from a family of death eaters, apparently. I have heard of Harry's suspicions on Draco. But I never really believed them. Draco wasn't a bad kid, he just grew up in a bad family. He is still trying to up live his expectations. Its why he couldn't ask me out freely, because I'm a muggle-born. I don't deny that.

"That doesn't mean anything." I said.

"Just be careful." He smiled then placed a hand on my shoulder, just as I had done for Draco.

...

I slumped into the arm chair and dropped my heavy bag on the ground. Ginny did the same beside me.

"Ugh! I cant take anymore!" I moaned.

"Its only been the first day..." Ginny said.

"And if I take anymore I'm going to burst!"

Ginny and I laughed and we pulled out our transfiguration homework. Ginny and I had a system of our own. We would start with first periods homework, then second period's, and we'd work ourselves back through the day. It _had _been a long day, I found. History of magic was just so boring. And there was so much talk and sound in charms class that no body really did anything. Herbology was easy, that was my best subject.

Someone tapped my shoulder and I turned around, Hermione was there and in her arms was Claude.

"Hey Hermione." I said, suddenly alarmed.

"I need to borrow Claude! Please! It will only take a second."

"O.k, do you know how to use him?"

"Yup." She said. "And listen, I need to thank you for not getting mad, I kind of freaked out when I first saw him."

"That's O.k, anyone would have done that."

"Its just." Hermione sat down in an armchair. "I've read about them right? And these are really rare, you have to be incredibly lucky to find one."

I nodded. "Keep him as long as you want. I don't need him right now."

Hermione smiled. "Thanks Jo." Then she walked off.

"What was that about?" Ginny asked, looking at her homework.

"Hermione just wanted to borrow a book."

"Oh."

...

The next day flew by so quickly. There was the beginnings of a routine. I noticed, get yelled at by Ginny, get your shit together, go to class, go to common room, do your homework. Except our last period, Defense against the dark arts, taught by Professor Umbridge. So when she told us to put our wands away. I didn't.

"But don't we need them?" I asked.

"Why would you need to use magic?" She simpered.

"Because this is a school that teaches magic." Interrupted a student from the back.

Everyone murmured in agreement.

"This school has been using teaching methods that were not ministry approved. Now, everyone put your wands away, and pull out your 'Defense against the dark arts; beginners' books and read chapter one. 'When to use magic, and when not to use magic'."

Grumbling slightly I pulled out my books and began reading.

...

"How did that woman even get to teach?" Ginny complained.

Ever since everyone got out of class, all we've been talking about is Umbridge. No one likes her.

As Ginny and I kept talking, I wasn't watching where I was going, and I tripped on someone's foot. In a blur, I splayed out my arms to protect my fall. But I never hit the ground. Though as by magic I was lifted back to a standing position and my books flew into my arms. I looked around for my rescuer.

"Alright there Jo?" It was Veronica Hughes. The girl from the train.

I snarled, "What do you want Veronica?"

"I need a favor." Her hair was in a ponytail today, and was looking extra mean. "I have a problem, and I need you to fix it." Veronica placed her hands on her hips and smiled wickedly at us. Ginny glared back at her.

"What might that be?" I said sweetly.

"I don't have Claude!"


	9. Author's Note

**Hello Internet! **

**Sorry, this isn't a chapter, but I really needed to say some things. First, please! please! Please! review! I have no idea what you all think of my story! I must know! Right now I have no idea of what to write next, I have some ideas but... suggestions would be appreciated. **

**Second, do you ship Joner, or Dro. Do you ship Ginny and Michael? I'm trying to stick to the story because I'm not very fond of fics that change the whole plot line completely. **

**Thirdly, I am trying to post a chapter a day, to keep up views. Usually by midnight is my deadline for chapters. I live in Canada so, there's my time change for you, I have no sense of that what so ever. **

**And... Yeah, thats all I wanted to say. There should be a chapter posted by midnight tonight. Hope you all are enjoying it!**

**-DaEvilQueen-785 3 **


	10. Detention

On the inside I felt shocked and angry, but I tried not to let it show on my face. "Who's Claude?" I asked simply, looking at her innocently.

"Oh, don't play dumb Jo!" She stammered. Veronica took a few steps toward us, so only we could hear her. "I want that book!" Then she stomped her foot like a two-year old.

"It's 'Josephine' to you." I said staring at her in the eye. Ginny shook her head and looked at me questioningly.

"Wa-wait!" She turned holding her hands out, like she was physically halting us. "Claude is a book?"

I nodded, because I didn't know what else to do. Is Ginny mad at me?

"Give. Me. Him!" She held out her hand, like I actually had Claude on me.

"Why do you need him? Claude doesn't like stuck up prats like you!"

"I don't care if he likes me or not, I just need him."

"If that's the best reason you can come up with, you have another thing coming." Then I grabbed Ginny's elbow and pulled her away from Veronica.

We left her standing there like an idiot. Ginny glared at me, which isn't a very good look on her.

"Who's Claude?" She asked. Though inside, I knew she wasn't asking. She was demanding.

I sighed, it was now or never. "Remember that book I got from Florish and Blotts?"

Ginny nodded.

"Well, the cover kind of turned into a face, and it can talk, and his name is Claude. Also, when you open it a special way, Claude turns into a map of Hogwarts and you can see everyone walking around doing there business. It's really cool!" And then I was exited to get Claude back from Hermione. And do a little stalking of my own. _God_, I'm weird.

Ginny smiled. "That _is_ cool!" then she frowned. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

I looked at her apologetically. "Sorry, I just felt like keeping it to myself."

She nodded again, "That's fine. Just... Can I see him?" Ginny was getting excited about a book.

"Sure." Then laughing and talking we ran to the common room.

We arrived out of breath. Hermione was there at the portrait door conversing with the fat lady. "Woah, there." She said when she saw us.

"Hey, Hermione, do you have Claude?" I asked.

"He's right here." Hermione took out Claude, His purple cover was still as worn and ratty as ever. "Thanks for letting me borrow him. I had a suspicion about someone, now I know." She handed us the book and walked away.

I shrugged, Hermione was strange sometimes. I gave Claude to her.

"Who is this?" Claude asked, his face the picture of confusion. "Oh great, not another wacko. That other one kept asking me stupid questions." He rolled his eyes. Ginny simply stared at him.

"Toffee." I said to the fat lady. She swung open her portrait and Ginny and I climbed through the hole in the wall.

Inside the common room, Ginny and I could easily see Fred and George's flaming heads bent over piles of books and parchment at a table in the corner.

"Fred! George!" Ginny yelled. "Look at this!" Then she rushed over waving Claude in their faces.

"Ginny! Shhhhh!" I whisper shouted at her. It was lucky that no one saw. In fact, there was barely anyone in the common room. It _was_ a nice day out, then I was wondering, _why_ aren't _we_ outside?

"What's this?" Fred took the book from Ginny. "Ow!" Claude bit Fred and Fred dropped Claude.

"Ow!" Claude called indignantly.

"It has a face!" George exclaimed.

I picked up Claude. "Are you O.k?"

"Obviously not!"

"What is that?" Asked Fred. He took the book from me and set him on table, Ginny, Fred, George and I gathered around him.

"I'm not a _what_, I'm a _who_." Claude said. I laughed, that was one of the first things Claude said to me.

Fred looked at me weirdly.

"Alright then. Who are you?" George questioned.

"I... " Claude paused for dramatic effect. "Am Claude, the Marauders map!"

Fred and George exchanged a look I didn't understand.

"Would there happen to be two of you?" They asked.

"Why yes." Claude said, obviously happy to be recognized. "I was made by Padfoot. Do you know him?"

"Why yes. Were quite good friends actually." The twins said.

"You guys can't tell anyone!" I said to the twins.

"Of course we won't." Fred said. "No one really wants this public. No offense Claude."

"None taken."

"Well," I started. Should I tell Fred and George? I'm going to tell them. "Can you guys think of a reason why Veronica Hughes would want Claude?"

"Well, she might want some inside information on someone."

Ginny and I looked at each other.

"Anything else?"

"..."

"I guess not." Ginny said. "Hey don't you have a detention at 7:00?"

"Yeah why?"

"You were supposed to be there twenty minutes ago." Ginny tapped her watch and smiled. For a moment, I forgot what it was like to breath, and be calm and have a normal remembrance of important things.

"HOLY SHIT!" I yelled.

"You better get there like NOW!" George said to me. But I barely got to hear his whole sentence. I rushed out of the common room, nearly ripping the portrait and plowing six or seven first years in the process. On my way to the dungeons I received a lot of wild stares and annoyed looks. All I needed though, was to get to the dungeons.

I barreled into the room Snape and Malfoy were to meet me. I threw myself so fast into the room, I knocked over several chairs. Snape glared at me. Draco it seemed, was trying not to laugh.

"WHERE, have the HELL you been Clearwater!" He seethed.

"Um, I was-" Snape's rage terrified me. If he wasn't a teacher he might of skinned me then hung me on the wall.

"No time for excuses! Twenty points from Gryfindor. One point for every minute you were late." Snape shot one more glare at me then swooped out of the room.

Draco looked to me, smiling critically. "Well, you finally decided to show up, eh, Clearwater?"

I smiled, and realized how out of breath and sore I was from running here. "I, lost, track, of, time." I huffed.

Draco's face turned from amused to concerned. "Here sit down." He pulled up a chair and sat down in one opposite the one he pulled up.

"Thanks." I said. Draco does have his moments.

"So. For your detention. You have to organize Filch's list of hooligans."

"Seriously?" I slumped in my chair and didn't believe my ears.

"Yup. Now get up. We have to go to his office."

I groaned and leaned against him. "I don't wanna." That was probably against all Gryfindor rules, but I don't care. Draco put his arm around me carefully, like he was handling delicate china.

"Sorry, Josephine. Life just isn't fair." Draco rested his chin on my head and pulled me tighter. That was probably against all Slytherin rules. But obviously didn't care. I put my other arm around his waist. Draco was very tense here. I thought. He was strong.

We walked out of the cold dungeon room like that together, and we didn't pull apart until we saw the great hall at the top of the stairs.

...

"Here." Filch handed me a stool. "Take out files 'N' through 'z' from cabinet two." I put the stool down in front of the filing cabinet and searched for files 'N' through 'Z' from cabinet two, and pulled them out. Draco took files 'A' to 'M'.

"Alright now, sort through them and stamp the ones that have blond hair with this red stamp." Filch handed us a stamp that said 'BLOND PERSON' and a pad of red ink.

"What use is that to you?" I asked. "To know who has blond hair and who doesn't?"

"It doesn't help me in the slightest. Were just running out of chores for you scheming students to do. That trophy room had been polished at least twice a week." Then still mumbling about about punishment and his own kinds of punishment he would inflict upon us, he hobbled out and shut the door.

"What has this school come to?" I asked Draco sarcastically.

"Who knows, really." He answered. taking a seat in Filch's old broken swivel chair. I sat down in the stiff wooden chair in the corner. There were wrist holders at the end of the armrests. I scooted the chair closer and set the pile on the desk next to Draco. For awhile we sat in silence. Then I sneezed.

"WOAH!" Draco jumped off his chair and smeared red ink all over Luna Lovegood's folder. "Did you sneeze or a bomb just went off in the next room over?"

I laughed and began to explain. "Sorry, that's how I sneeze normally."

Draco started to sit down but pretended to look really uncomfortable and weirded out.

"No seriously!" I pushed him over and his face broke into a wide grin. "Before I sneeze, I like to warn people right? So before I sneeze I yell 'I'M GOING TO SNEEZE.' Then no one is startled."

Draco laughed. "Well, you sure startled me. Your so small and quiet, I was expecting your sneeze to be short and high-pitched."

I laughed. "That's how Ron sneezes."

"Seriously?"

Whoops. shouldn't of told him that. "Yeah... " I said sheepishly. "But don't tell him that I told you!"

"Oh, he is going to know." Draco smirked evilly. His smirk crinkled his eyes a little. He had nice eyes, green ones.

"Don't tell him! I'll get in trouble!" I whined.

"Oh, I don't know, I might just need something in return." Draco said mysteriously. There was only one way this might go.

"What's that now?" I asked.

"I want a kiss." Draco pointed to his dimple. "Right here."

"Why's that?" I just want to hear him say it.

"Doesn't everyone want a kiss from the talented and beautiful miss Josephine Clearwater?"

I blushed, but suddenly remember something Dad once told me. 'They'll only say "I love you" to get in your pants'. 'Is that what you did for Mom?' I had asked. His reply was yes. I ignored this, and let what I wanted get in the way. "It's Jo. for you." I said smiling.

"Alright, _Jo. _Right here."He said pointing to his dimple.

"Right here?" I asked Draco. I pointed to his cheek and he nodded. I found the spot with my lips, and kissed him. softly, I hoped, like a feather on a block of wood. I felt Draco open his jaw.

I pulled away. "What?" I asked. I pulled away and turned to see what he was gaping at. Filch was standing in the doorway. He didn't say anything. His face was holding a mixture of emotions. He was looking at us like we were cats mating, or like he was unsure what just went on. He looked at us like he didn't even know what a kiss was. He simply turned around and hobbled out again.

I clamped my hand on my mouth. "Oh dear." I said, my voice muffling.

Draco was shaking with laughter. I pushed him over and he pulled me over to him. I laughed with him and he wrapped his arms around my waist, I placed my hands behind his neck, and then we went quiet, still smiling to each other. Slowly I put my forehead to his, and he took this as an invitation to pull me closer, I was now in his lap now. God how awful that sounds. But we were to entranced with each other to notice. Our noses touched and it wasn't long before his lips found mine. His were firm and inviting. He moved himself in all the right places, like he was supporting me without even knowing it. I kissed him back, and for awhile that's all we did. We kissed. Nothing else mattered. Only me, and him. Draco _was _strong. I could feel all his back muscles tensing and straightening when he moved. We only broke apart when we heard footsteps coming from down the hall. We untangled ourselves from each other and began blondifiying the files.

Snape barged in. "A little birdy told me, that there has been _kissing_ in this room." He drawled. If this was not as serious a situation, and I wasn't still under a Malfoy daze, I would have laughed. Snape said the word 'kissing' like it was the worst, most foulest thing that could have happened in filch's office. And in a way, it was.

"Nope, no kissing in here." I mumbled stupidly.

Snape frowned at me. "You are dismissed Clearwater. That has been enough sorting for one night. He looked meaningfully at my barely touched stack of files. Draco started to get up, but stopped when he saw Snape's face. "You may go now Clearwater!" Snape spat through his gritted teeth. I stole one last glance at Draco before hurrying down the hallway.

Where was all this affection coming from? I wondered, on my way back to Gryfindor tower. Who cares, a voice said in my head, lets just hope it doesn't stop.


	11. The Promise

Throughout September at Hogwarts, the grounds got a little chillier, the homework got a little harder, the teacher's got a little grumpier, the trees turned from a placid green to bold scarlet and shades of crisp orange. The school was plagued with an epidemic of coughs and runny noses. Ginny was constantly swooning over Harry then leading on Michael. Michael and Conner were such flirts in transfiguration. I ignored both of them, and Ginny now sat where I used to, so her and the boys could talk. Veronica kept her distance, not for long though, she always came back. Claude was fine. We always had a talk before bed, Luckily, Hermione had found a spot on the shelf over the fireplace in the common room, where Claude can sit and troll the other students without them seeing. He would call out their name and watch as they would look around confused. Once he got bored of that, he would say things like 'I'm right behind you!' or 'your fly's down'. And watch in mirth as they covered themselves self-consciously. It was now official that Umbridge was the worst teacher at Hogwarts. Her lessons were dull and uneventful, no one was learning anything. Arguments and protests happened daily in her classroom now and nearly everyone had gotten at least one detention from her. Draco was still Draco. We never got a chance to talk to each other alone since that detention in Filch's office. Snape was now suspicious of us and wouldn't let us speak to each other during potions. But he couldn't stop the winks and smiles we shot at each other. Ginny was still curious to who it was I was falling for, Draco is the last person she would have guessed.

"Its Conner, right" Ginny asked one day on our way to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Nope." I said back.

"Oh, C'mon, you guys talk all the time!"

"Were just friends." I said looking to her, Ginny's hair was in a bun today, mine had been curled and fussed over this morning. Almost the opposite of what we did on the first day of school.

"Sure." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"No seriously! We were flirting for a while, but then it stopped."

"Well! Make it start again! We can double date!" Ginny pushed on me, I giggled and pushed her back.

"It doesn't work like that."

"You made it work like that!"

I rolled my eyes. "So who's playing who?" There was to be a quidditch match today.

"Gryfindor and Slytherin!" Ginny stated. "Were going to win!"

"I hope so." I said. "Isn't Umbridge supposed to be watching?"

"Ugh! I hope not, that bitch didn't even want to let Gryfindor compete!"

"Excuse me!" Purred a soft irritated voice. Professor Umbridge was standing at the entrance of her classroom, she held a bundle of wands in her hand. "Whom, perhaps, were you speaking about?" She forced a smile upon her face, but you could tell she wanted so desperately to scowl.

"Um," I muttered. "No one you would know."

"I know everyone, Josephine."

I turned to Ginny for support but she was lost for words, A few heads from inside the classroom peeked out and looked at us pitifully.

"Well!"

"Just some Slytherin that was making fun of Ginny." I made up.

Umbridge raised an eyebrow. "What, Slytherin, might that be?" She asked.

"Pansy Parkinson." Ginny never missed a beat.

Umbridge highly doubted our story but she backed away and said. "You may go, find your seats quickly, as we are already late. Oh, and, I will be requiring your wands."

I stopped halfway through the doorway. No way was she getting her hands on my wand.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because, my students have used magic in my class when I specifically told them not to. Especially this class. So I will be confiscating them at the beginning of class each day." Umbridge held out her hand, reluctantly I took my wand out of my pocket and placed it in her hand. She held it close to her face, examining it.

"Ten inches, oak, dragon heartstrings. I presume?"

I nodded, frowning.

She held out her hand to Ginny and Ginny placed her own wand in Umbridge's palm. She stroked Ginny's wand and said. "Hmph. Eight inches, Willow, with... unicorn hairs?"

Ginny nodded. "Very well." Stated Umbridge. "You may enter."

Ginny and I nodded, and clutching our bags; like she was going to try to take them too. We entered the classroom and found a seat at the back of the room. Pretty much the whole class had the same idea. Nearly no one was sitting in the front desks.

Umbridge proceeded to the front of the class.

…

One, grueling, painfully dull, hour later, everyone picked up they're bags, collected their wands from Umbridge and hurried out of the classroom as fast as they could. No one wanted to spend one more second looking into her ugly toad like face.

"That was the worst lesson ever!" I complained.

"I know! You'd think she thought we were pigeons!" Ginny complained.

Suddenly, a thought struck me.

"Hey, have you talked to Marisa lately?" I asked.

"Who? Oh, no, I haven't."

"That's the thing, Ginny, Marisa was one of our best friends!"

"So?"

"Now she hates us! Eileen too!"

Ginny stopped walking and turned to me. "Jo, stop worrying about it."

"I can't!" We began walking again, when someone ran into me. They bumped into me so fast, the books I was carrying fell out of my grasp. "Hey watch it!" I bent down to pick up my books, and the guy bent down to, to help.

"Sorry," He said. It was Draco. Immediately I was fascinated by his features. I stared into his green eyes.

"Th-thats fine." I mumbled. Draco scooped up my books, his finger was stuck inside one, he pulled it out, smiled and walked away. I watched him go. Draco liked to swing his arms when he walked, an almost always started walking with his right foot.

Ginny sneered at his back. "Why do you tolerate him?"

I shrugged, smiling slightly. Ginny usually thought I was smiling at her, teasing her for being so suspicious. But really I'm smiling because of Draco.

"C'mon, lets go for dinner." I told her. As we walked to the common room to drop of our bags, I slipped my hand into my 'Guide to self-protection' text book and pulled out a small folded piece of parchment.

It read:

Dear Jo,

I need to talk to you,

Please meet me behind the Ravenclaw stands during the quidditch match.

~Draco

I crumpled up the paper and stuffed in my pocket.

Ginny noticed my face.

"Why are you blushing?"

That made me blush more.

"No reason."

…

For the quidditch game, there was nothing but cloud, the weather conditions were slightly damp, the pitch was literally a field of mud and soggy grass. I immediately swerved away from the hoard of students climbing into the stands, and briskly walked to the ravenclaw's stands. Draco was waiting there. He was already in his quidditch uniform and had his sleek black broom by his side. His worried look turned into a smile.

"Hey!" I said, I walked right up to him, a big grin of my own plastered on my face.

Draco didn't say a word, he leaned down held my chin with him gloved hand and kissed me on the mouth. I closed my eyes and hung my arms around his bent neck. Draco laced his arms around me and picked me up, we were such rebels.

"I missed you." He said.

"And me you." I pecked him again on his mouth and he set me down, but that only made me want to kiss him again more.

"I want to take you on a date." He prompted. Then he crimsoned. "I mean, maybe we could meet each other more often, get to know each other? I really like you Jo, and I'm not going to let this muggle-born thing get in my way. I've made a promise."

This was quite sudden. Draco never told me what he was feeling, but he always had the best ways of showing it. Shock showed on my face, then it smoothed to a small smile.

"I want that too Draco." I said.

He smiled and picked me up, laughing he spun me around.

"Just remember, I'm not always the bad guy." Draco was never the bad guy around me, he was always my saviour from reality. My saving grace. In other people's eyes, he was a terrorist. A racist jerk. But for me, Draco was nothing short of perfect.

I grabbed his face and kissed him one more time, he pulled me to him. His mouth was like a spell that kept drawing me in. An ever-lasting charm.

"Good luck." I whispered in his ear. "And be careful."

Draco smirked. "Anything for you Jo." Then he swung one long leg over his broomstick and shot into the air. I watched him fly away, then hustled back to my seat beside Ginny.

...

All of Gryffindor tower was fuming over everything that had happened. Everyone was huffing around in an anger everywhere they went. While slytherins were practically celebrating. At meals, in the halls, during class all of the slytherins were smiling uncontrollably and making fun of the miserable Gryfindors. Ever since Fred and Harry had been banned from quidditch by Umbitch. They both have been mad as hornets. I have been too frightened to talk to Fred, I don't want to get yelled at, or make him upset. And ever since, Ginny had called me out to be Fred's replacement beater, I have done nothing but worry for the team. I am not nearly as good or experienced as Fred, and believe me, everyone else thinks so too. Draco has done nothing but beam for the downfall of Harry Potter, and for once since I met him, his behaviour made me sick. But... I still couldn't back away. Nothing would make me back away From Draco Malfoy.


	12. Romeo and Juliet

"Jo! Jo! JO!"

I threw my purple throw pillow at Ginny and it hit her in the face. She glared at me and threw it back at me.

"Get! Up! Were going to be late!"

"Who cares?" I yelled at her.

"Fine!" Ginny throws her hands in the air only to bring them down again and slap her thighs. "I give up." Then she leaves. We literally go through this every morning. Immediately after she shut the door, I got up and began to gather my clothing. My white school shirt was on the dresser, My striped red tie was hanging on the bed curtain's pole. My skirt was under my mattress, no idea how it got there. My Mary Jane's and black knee socks were in a pile by the door, and my black robes were draped over Eileen's arm.

"Here." She said, I smiled weakly at her as she laid it on my bed.

"Thanks." I said.

Then the tension and stress was too much. In the same moment we both started spewing explanations and apologies.

"I swear, I wanted to say I was sorry-"

"No, I'm sorry! I should have come to you guys first-"

Then...

"Oh my gosh!" We said at the same time, smiling with relief, Eileen nearly in tears, We hugged. Eileen pulled me close, and I hugged her back. It had been so long since I had been with a friend that wasn't Ginny. No offense, Ginny was my best friend. But I was used to it being the four of us, and having Eileen and Marisa hate on me since september first. Was agonizing.

"I missed you!" I said.

"I missed you too!" She said. We pulled apart and stared at each other for a minute.

"Hey," I said, noticing something I hadn't when I first saw her. "You got your hair cut!" Her hair was once long and all the same length, now it sat at her shoulders, and she had bangs that swooped across her forehead.

"Yeah." She said, tugging on a loose strand of hair. "Hey, your wearing make up now?"

I blushed. "Only a little." I used to hate every idea of make up and call anyone who wore it 'fake'. Then I found a mascara tube in Penelope's desk, and I kept it. It helps.

Eileen laughed. "Ginny's next. She shall succumb to the power." Eileen raised her arms dramatically. Eileen's the one who was always telling us how heavenly and easy make up was, and the 'wonders' it brought people.

"I don't think so, she's determined." I said.

There was a creak as the bathroom door opened. Marisa stepped out of the bathroom, her blond hair tucked into her towel, Marisa was wearing black leggings and a loose grey T-shirt. She frowned when she saw us standing next to each other.

"Morning, Eileen." Marisa said snootily. She collected her uniform (Which was neatly laid out on her bedside chair), climbed onto her bed and pulled the curtains to change.

"Will you talk to her?" I asked.

Eileen nodded. "She'll come around, Its just not a good mix, stubborn people being around more stubborn people."

I scoffed. "I'm not even the stubborn one, I just happen to have been really busy with school work, and... boy things, To really talk with Marisa. That sounded really bad, I would have made time for her. But it never came up."

Eileen had started making her 'face' and signaling me to stop talking, when she heard me say 'boy things'. "Woah, woah, woah, woah... woah!" Eileen put her hands on her hips. "What boy?"

"No boy." I said sheepishly.

"Ugh, there's a boy!" She said, "You have to tell me _all_ about it during transfiguration!"

"O.k," I said. "At least I can get a break from Ginny and Michael's constant flirting!"

"Oh, I know!" Eileen was always up for gossiping. "I know you haven't noticed, but you really need to see the looks Conner shoots at you!"

I could feel my face reddening. "Really?"

"Yup."

"Oh god..."

"Is he your 'boy' thing?"

I opened my mouth, amused shock at her. "No!"

"Oh, he is too!" she said.

I rolled my eyes. Eileen was always jumping to conclusions. I sat on my bed and pulled off my pajama top. "He is not! Were just friends. We kinda flirted... at Florish and Blotts, but then..." I was doing this on purpose, getting her interested. I had to tell someone about Draco and I. And it wasn't going to be Ginny. Quickly, now realizing the time, I buttoned up my clean white shirt, and pulled off my matching pajama shorts.

Eileen was getting dressed while sitting on her bed too. "Then what?"

I shrugged, "Then I met someone else." I put on my black legging/shorts, then hiked up my skirt, which was laying around my feet in a pool of fabric.

"Who?" Eileen asked, she was already dressed and was now charming her hair to curl and twist around her face.

There was a rattling of metal on metal as Marisa yanked open her bed curtains, all dressed, her school bag swinging on her hip, and marched out of the dormitory. Eileen didn't give her two thoughts.

"Who?" She demanded again.

"O.k." I slid my tie around my neck and did it up. Then I slid my feet into the black knee socks and pulled them up to the proper height. "Draco Malfoy."

Eileen dropped open her mouth and stared at me, like in the movies. I, meanwhile, couldn't stop smirking, somehow telling someone about it, made it official.

"But you can't tell anyone!" I said as I buckled up the straps on my shoes and flung the uniform robe over my head.

"Oh don't worry. No one is going to find out about this. That would ruin the whole 'Romeo and Juliet' vibe."

"What?" I asked. I was _not _going to kill myself. Not for Draco. I whispered a spell to my wand, and my hair began to french braid itself. When braided it came down about mid-back.

"Oh, you know, _Two houses, both alike in dignity. In fair Hogwarts where we lay our scene. From ancient grudge break daily mutiny. Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean."_

Was Eileen really going to parody the greatest love tragedy, written by the master of linguistics himself, Shakespeare?

"_From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers accept fated drama, Whose mascots deem unacceptable, doth with their love, bury house strife."_

I began a slow clap for Eileen. She gets up and curtsied. "How was that?" She asked.

"Poetic." I said. She smiled.

"I've been practicing."

"I've noticed." I picked up my school bag and hooked it on my shoulder. "Ready?"

"Yup." She grabbed her bag as well and we continued to talk of Draco and Shakespeare the whole walk to transfiguration.

...

Eileen and I met Ginny outside the classroom. She was a little surprised to see us together but she got over it pretty quickly.

"She's alive!" Ginny joked, she held her arms over her face in terror.

"Ha! Ha!" I said.

...

In transfiguration I sat beside Eileen behind Ginny, who sat in the front row. Conner and Michael sat in the seats opposite. McGonagal immediately gave us a jar, and instructed us to perfectly turn it into a doll. A 'figurine' as Eileen had reminded me.

"Dang this jar!" Eileen had been trying profusely to change her jar into a figurine, but all she managed to do was change the jar's shape. It was now in the shape of a dog, but still was clear and made of glass.

I laughed. "Poor dog." My mind had kind of been turned off. I was watching Ginny flirt and converse with Michael. They both laughed and talked and when McGonagal came by she gave them all a stern look, but moved on once she saw that Ginny was at least trying.

"Psst... Hey Jo!" Conner had turned around and had caught my attention.

"What?" I whispered back.

"Have you got how to walk properly down? Or else, I might have to carry you to Hogsmeade."

"Ha ha," I said, amusing him. "Your hilarious."

Conner smirked. "Only my best for you, Jo."

That made me smile. "Save it, Romeo."

Conner smiled and turned around, his black rimmed glasses were about to fall of his nose if he didn't pull them up. His nose had a bump in the middle, which was a perfect spot for glasses to perch. But once they got over that ridge, it was a long slope down to the tip of his nose.

"Hey Conner."

Conner turned around, looking at me expectantly. I made the hand motion to push up his glasses. Conner folded his arms defiantly. I shrugged and looked meaningfully at Ginny and Michael.

Suddenly, a voice sounded through the classroom from the open door at the back. "Professor McGonagal?" I knew that voice anywhere, it had whispered in my ear, and irritably talked to me, it was a voice of a thousand meanings.

"I have a message for you."

"Yes, yes, set it on my desk, Malfoy." McGonagal ordered from another students table.

Draco nodded and walked down the isle, right past my face, I even caught a whiff of his cologne as he passed.

Draco winked at me on his way back, I smiled playfully at him. He slowed down when he passed and something small and light dropped into my lap, I stuck out my hand, as did he, and for a moment our fingers brushed and I could feel Eileen's stare on my placid face.

Draco left and I unfolded his note.

_Dear Jo,_

_Please meet me outside the front gates at 6:00 tonight._

_~Draco_

Short and sweet.

Eileen blushed for me and elbowed me in the ribs, raising her eyebrows.

"I told you!" I mouthed at her. I looked up to find Conner's disapproving stare boring into my skull. I shrugged innocently and he shook his head and turned around.

...

"Thanks for meeting me here." Draco was standing in front of me holding my hand and rubbing it between his fingers.

"My pleasure." I took a step closer and took his free hand in my own other hand.

Draco smiled as we lined our fingers with each other. Then he stopped and sat down on the bottom stair. "This is crazy." He said.

I sat down beside him. "Crazier than making out in Filch's office, even though we barely know each other?"

"Crazier than that." He said.

"Whats wrong Draco?" I asked. He never acted so unsure of himself. His worried look concerned me, and I didn't know what to do to help.

"My father." He said.


	13. The Name Game Begins

"Um" I was in unwanted territory. "What about your father?"

"He doesn't want us to be together." He answered.

"I'm sure-"

"No!" Draco looked up and patted the spot beside him. I sat down as he continued. "I mean, he is going to disown me if I don't stop talking to you."

"What?" This was like a slap in the face. Although I was being naive, no one like Draco would ever be allowed to be with a mudblood like me. "Is he serious?" My life felt like I had been sitting on the edge of a cliff, and then I tipped, and now I was dangling five feet below where I started.

Draco nodded sullenly. I put my elbows on my bare knees, my face lay in my hands. These things ran through my head like a two second film, my life didn't flash before my eyes. But i felt them, scanning my brain, looking for an answer.

"So, now what?" I asked. I heard him rub his knee and huff uncertainly

"Well, we could just make out and screw this whole Slytherin/Gryffindor thing."

I swivelled my head in his direction. I scoffed and pushed him over. He laughed and drew me closer. "I'm just kidding, Jo."

"You better be." I answered.

Draco ran his fingers through his hair and looked back at me. "Seriously though."

I smiled weakly. "Don't get your hopes up."

"What do you mean?"

"When you can guess my middle name, then you can have a kiss."

Draco scratched his chin. "Is it... Alison?"

I smiled mischievously. "Nope."

"Amy?"

"No."

"Angelica?"

"No."

"Audrey?"

"Nope."

"Anna?"

"Whats with all the 'A' names?"

"So it is Anna?"

"No."

"Amanda?"

"No!" I laughed. Draco posed like the thinker." I could practically see the gears turning in his head.

"Avery?"

"Nope." Then I stood up.

"Your enjoying watching me struggle, aren't you?" He mocked.

"Mmm... Yeah." I mocked back.

Draco stood up as well and stood in front of me. Even with my long legs Draco was a whole head taller than me. Then he bowed, like a butler, and said. "Until next time, m'lady?"

I curtsied. "Till then Mr. Malfoy." Then we turned away from each other and left. He headed across the lawn, and I jogged up the entrance stairs, into the castle. As I was climbing up the steps to Gryffindor tower, I realized, Draco hasn't really tried to explain further about what he was going to say about his father. He probably just got nervous and rescued himself from his thoughts. I suspect.

-sorry this was such a short chapter guys, Im not getting much time in to write, and im having trouble focusing. Plus with school just round the corner ive been really busy. Next one though I will make extra long. Hopefully.

DaEvilQueen-785


	14. Before Four O'clock

Everyone was crowded in front of the billboard in the common room. On it, were the new quidditch schedules, and the date for the next Hogsmeade weekend. And I was right in the thick of it. Students pushed each other around, craning their necks arounds others. Fred stumbled in behind me and nearly knocked me over. He grasped my shoulders to steady us. "Sorry, Jo!"

"No problem." Easing away from the flock I popped out and found Ginny and Eileen waiting for me in the armchairs.

"Did you get it?" Ginny asked.

"Quidditch practice is on thursday night, and this weekend is our trip to Hogsmeade." I reported.

"Really?" Ginny gasped.

"Yeah." I said, now I was suspicious. "Why so exited?"

"No reason." But Ginny was obviously hiding something. Her cheeks flushed and she was clamping her mouth with her hands, hiding a smile, the corners of which were turned up. I looked at her, faking sternness.

"Ok! Ill tell you. But not here." She cracked.

I grabbed Ginny and Eileen's wrist and led them upstairs to our dormitory. We all plopped down on my bed as Ginny started to talk. "Ok." She started. "Once I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone! Or I will curse you! And if you want to join, were going to meet at the Hogs head in Hogsmeade."

"Just tell us what it is!" Eileen said calmly.

"Well, Harry, Ron and Hermione are creating a club, where we can practice defence against the dark arts, without Umbridge knowing about it. We haven't found a room yet, but its going to be great!"

Of all the things I was expecting Ginny to say, it wasn't that.

"Really?" I asked.

Ginny nodded.

"Of course I want to join! This is exactly what we need!" I said.

Ginny beamed. "What about you Eileen?"

Slowly but surely Eileen began to nod.

"Oh, and Ginny?" Suddenly I remembered something, I would rather of remembered later.

"What?"

"Im going to resign from my beater position."

"WHAT?"

I cringed under her glare.

"Are you serious? Jo, we need you!"

"No," I said. "You need someone with more experience. Honestly. Anyone would do better than me. Eileen could play this position. "

"Aw, hell nah." Eileen interrupted.

"C'mon Jo! Please!"

I buckled under her innocent puppy face. I'm too soft.

"O.k, fine!" I exasperated. "But if I make a fool of myself. Its your fault."

"I can live with that." She said, rather satisfied. "Lets go. Were going to be late." Together we jumped off my bed and hopped down the stairs into the common room. On the grand leather armchair (that everyone loves, but cant sit in because Fred and George are always occupying.) sat Marisa, and she was refusing to move. Fred was trying to convince her to get out.

"Please! Alright, what do you want?"

"I want an apology!"

"What did I do?"

"Thats just the thing! You don't know! While I have been worried sick, and angry at you, the entire year!" She practically screamed at him.

Fred frowned and looked worriedly at her. "Marisa, you have to let this go!"

Nearing tears she ran out of the common room and streamed through the hole in the wall, into the stairwell outside. Quite a few spectators had seen that little scene and were looking peculiarly at Fred.

"Well, I bet she's a real party pooper." A bold, bossy sort of voice sounded in the common room. Everyone looked round for the source of the voice. Crossing his arms, and knowing full well who was speaking, he said. "Tell me about it!"

Hurriedly I walked swiftly to the mantel and took Claude down from his high thrown.

I shoved him inside my robes and hurried out of the common room. I tried pass it off like I was going to go comfort Marisa. Even though Eileen had scurried off as soon as Marisa wasn't in her sights.

Ginny followed me into an empty room, she lit the candelabras and shut the door firmly behind us.

"Claude!" I screeched. I took him out of the bag and slammed him on the nearest desk. "What do you think your doing!"

"I was just trying to have a little fun." He said stubbornly. I crossed my arms.

"Someone could have noticed you!"

"You didn't seem to care if anyone saw me when you put me on that hard mantelpiece AND LEFT ME THERE!" Ohhhh...

I sighed. He did have a point.

"Im sorry Claude."

"Sorry's not going to cut it, Josephine!"

"What do you want?" Ginny asked. She had sat down at the desk Claude rested on and was leaning over him reproachfully. I pushed her back down.

"I want to go out."

"What? There is no way-"

"Not that kind of 'out' you sick, sick girl. I want you to take me out around the castle at night. Padfoot and Prongs did it all the time. Hide from teachers, peeve off peeves! I love that. Too bad we don't have an invisibility cloak. There very useful."

I considered this. "What might be our mission?"

"Lets steal something!" Claude grinned widely, but it was an evil kind of grin, the one you avoided when you saw it on strangers.

"No!" I said. "Im not stealing anything."

"Aw, C'mon."

"No!"

"Why are you so uptight?"

"Im not uptight!"

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not!"

"Yeah, you are!"

"No! I'm-"

"GUYS!" Ginny yelled. "Honestly, your both acting like two-year olds."

"He/she started it!" We both said in unison, I pointed angrily at Claude. And if he had arms, I bet he would of done the same as well.

"I dont care who started it! Ill finish it!" Ginny argued.

I am not going to fight with a book. "O.k." I said, I turned to Claude. "I will take you with us to the Hogsmeade trip. Hows that?"

Claude contemplated this. "Sure." I visibly sighed with relief. Aren't I, supposed to be the dramatic teenager, not this forty year old book.

...

The next day, after quidditch practice:

Ginny and I hauled our tired, sore bodies into the great hall and sat down sulkily on the hard, flat benches. Eileen bounced in after us, happy as a pig in mud.

"I'm so tired!" I complained. "Does it always feel like this? After one practice?"

"You kind of get used to it." She said. Ginny leaned forward on the table and unwrapped a chocolate frog she had hidden in her pocket. Eileen sat herself in the seat across from myself.

"Ugh!" I groaned. "I don't think I could handle another practice! Much less a game!" I rubbed my arms with care. It takes a lot to make those stupid bludgers change direction. On the bright side, my upper arms were feeling much more tense.

"There actually slightly less gruelling." Ginny said.

"Im finding that hard to believe."

"Well, ever since Wood left, Harrys had a lot to work with, and he has been trying." Ginny took a bite off her chocolate frog. "And now that Harry's off the team. And I'm captain..." Ginny shrugged. "I just want to work hard at it." I nodded along, although it irritated my shoulders.

"Your doing great Ginny." I reassured her.

She smiled in response. Then Eileen looked above my head and her smile immediately turned into an 'inside joke' smirk. That kind of smirk you see on your best friend when you crush walks by. That kind you just want to slap of their face.

"Looks like you need a neck massage Clearwater." Someone said behind me. Without really bothering to see who it was I nodded along. "That would be lovely."

A pair of strong hands grasped my shoulders, by my neck, their thumbs dug into my sore spot. He continued for a few more moments then stopped.

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Thank you, thats great."

"No problem." Then he walked away. I didn't even turn in his direction. Eileen began to giggle uncontrollably, and Ginny glared in shock at the student who rubbed my neck. I slid a piece of chicken pot pie from its platter onto my empty plate and nibbled on a bite of it.

"Do you realize who that was?" Ginny asked indignantly.

"No," I said "I should thank him later."

"That was Draco Malfoy!" Eileen burst out.

"What?!" I nearly choked on my pie, and had to cough a few times to clear my throat. Fred, who was seated beside me, patted my back a little. "Yes." He said. "I know, my presence can be overwhelming." With what breath I still had within me, I laughed shortly and calmed my face, I'm sure it was blushing. Ginny was still staring at me. Probably expecting me to be angry. I shrugged again. And as I did, Harry, Ron and Hermione came hustling over and sat down in our group.

"Do they know?" Hermione asked Ginny. Likely talking about Eileen and I.

"Yeah." Ginny said. "They're in."

Hermione smiled and began to lay out the plans. "O.k, so, have you guys been talking to people about our meetings?" Fred, George, Ginny, Harry and Ron nodded. "Good, now I have talked with Neville, and it seems he has found somewhere to hold our meetings. He's not going to show us though until after the meeting in Hogsmeade."

"Why not?" I piped up.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know, but at least he's going to eventually."

...

That night when I was undoing my white shirt and pulled it off, a small piece of parchment fell out of the folds of clothing. I picked it up and smoothed it out. On the paper, it read:

Bailey? Beatrice? Brian? Brianna? Brittany? Bertha? Just tell me so I can kiss you!

I laughed quietly to myself and took out my quill from my bag. I bent down to the stool beside my bed. And using it as a backboard, I began to draw 'X's over the names and underneath I wrote.

Keep guessing Malfoy

...

The next morning I woke to a tapping on the window. I threw back the covers and sat on the mattress for a few more seconds before stumbling to the window and letting in the huge black owl. I unfurled the note and read it.

Dear Clearwater,

Cathy? Carolina? Carrie? Caitlyn? Cora? I'll bet two kisses I can get it before the Hogsmeade.

I smiled. He tried. He really did. I bet he stayed up all night trying to compose this letter. I walked to my bed and pulled a quill from my bag. Using the head board as a back I crossed out the names and wrote under it.

You can have all the kisses you want if you can guess it before four O'clock.


	15. No Small Thing

**Your Welcome. -DaEvilQueen-785**

Draco's POV

From a distance I could see her smooth chocolate brown hair tucked into a peri-winkle blue hat bobbing up and down as she jogged alongside her friend, weaslette. Blaise and I were walking lazily toward Hogsmeade with the rest of the school. I tried to non-suspiciously get Blaise to walk faster and we could follow Jo, but Blaise was oblivious to my attempts and stubbornly stalked along at his own set pace.

"...So what do you think?" Blaise ended.

"Sorry what?" I asked. Jo had now slowed to a saunter as they passed under the Hogsmeade archway.

"Seriously Draco?" Blaise asked, looking at me with his eyebrows raised. "Must you drool over that muggle-born ever second of the day?"

"I do not drool." I stiffened. "I observe from a far."

"So your a stalker?" Blaise argued.

I pushed him over and he fell into a pile of slushy snow. Blaise looked at me disapprovingly. "In denial is one of the stages of depression you know?" Blaise asked 'innocently'.

"I am not in love!" I argued. Blaise didn't buy my act.

"Draco, shes a muggle-born!" Blaise raised his flat palm and shook it at Jo, who was far ahead, entering the three broomsticks. I knew Blaise was longing to say mudblood, but last time he called Jo that he had to get fixed up by Madam Pomfrey, and I had to serve a detention with McGonagal.

"And I will address that situation accordingly." I said. Every fibre, every atom of my being and heritage told me to get out while I can, stop engaging with her, don't look at her don't do anything that might ruin the Malfoy name. On the rebellious side of me, I wanted to talk with Jo and interact with her. Just to see the look of true horror and disappointment on my fathers face, him and the rest of the idiotic death eaters. Another side, one that wasn't tapped into enough, wanted to hold her, feel her. Kiss Jo when she's sad, give her surprise hugs from behind. Be part of her everyday lifestyle because that is what I wanted most. My inner most feelings wanted love. Harry Potter's mother had saved him by sacrificing herself, and I feel like no caring from my parents or love from Pansy was worth a single thing. A decade without rain, and Josephine was my tall glass of water. And I was the bat shit crazy old man who had wandered into the desert.

Blaise nudged my forearm and caught my attention. I looked over at him, Blaise winked at a huddle of Slytherin girls across the street, they all giggled and rushed around each other, trying not to be seen. He looked at me, a look that said... 'Smash or pass?'.

I grinned and shook my head. Blaise shrugged, licked his forefinger and thumb, and swiped them over his overly cared for eyebrows. He staggered over to the girls, and I couldn't suppress a smirk when I saw their slightly disappointed faces when only Blaise made his way over. Something grabbed my arm and I physically cringed away from the sudden vice like grip.

"Hiya handsome!" Pansy simpered. With one gloved hand she ran her mitt over my pale blond hair and pulled on it, bringing me down to her. I frowned and peeled away from her.

"Bye Pansy." I said. I left Pansy there - who had crossed her arms and was looked sulkily at the back of my head - standing alone, I sauntered into the three broomsticks, hoping to bump into Jo. The pub was crowded, and held a warm mustiness the air, too many cold encrusted students. Draco ordered a butterbeer and sat down on of the stools encircling the bar. He waited patiently for the bartender when a bushy haired someone plopped down in the seat beside me. I swivelled around to face Hermione Granger.

"Evening Draco." She said through her gritted teeth. The bartender came around drying a bottle of butterbeer, he set it down in front of me. I cracked it open and took a swig.

"What do you want Granger?" I asked. Setting the bottle down.

"I want you to leave Jo alone." Granger stared at my face with a determined look.

Suddenly, I was curious to what she was talking about.

"Are you jealous Granger?" I asked. Knowing this would infuriate her. "Don't worry, theres plenty of me to go around."

Hermione shivered. And not because of the cold. "Only in my worst nightmares!"

I sneered at her. "Im not staying away from Jo." I said firmly, before I took another gulp of my beer. Granger glared at my smirking face. What does this girl have against me? ...Oh yeah...

"She's only going to get hurt in the end." Hermione said still staring intently at me. I felt uneasy and awkward. Over Granger's shoulder I could see Jo and the red head collecting their coats and walking out the door.

"You don't know that." I said timidly. Then I swallowed the remaining butterbeer in one gulp and banged it on the table.

"This is just too predictable." She looked down and shook her head. Granger's bushy brown curls bounced around her head; resilient.

"Well, apparently your not as smart as you think. Because I'm taking her out on a date!"

Granger literally gasped. Her eyes widened and she physically cringed as her hand flew up to cover her mouth. "You wouldn't!" Like the worst thing ever was a date.

I sneered at her. "Only in your worst nightmares." I said. I flipped a galleon into the air as the bartender caught it absentmindedly. With one last disgusted look at the mudblood I stalked out of the pub. Outside was freezing! The cold blasted my face and I pulled my green scarf higher on my neck. I trudged through the snow and pushed through the hurried crowd. On the other side of the street I found myself standing, frozen, under the sign of a small bookshop. The wide shop windows were warmly lit and illuminated stacks of the new books in stock. 'The Book Nook', read in red italic letters on the wooden sign. The shop's navy blue door was decorated with a green wreath and weaving throughout it was red ribbon. With a little start I noticed small cornish pixies standing in the centre of the wreath, wearing little elf hats and singing christmas carols in their squeaky high pitched voices. Above them dangled a prim trimming of mistletoe. Shrugging I pushed open the door and stepped over the welcome matt.

Jo's POV

The tinkle of a bell rung through the small shop and caught my attention. I turned away from Conner and turned around to see Draco Malfoy shaking off snow from his broad shoulders and his boots in the entrance of The Book Nook. I spun back around and put my elbows on the counter.

"Whats wrong?" Conner hushed, leaning down from the till to me, so we were eye to eye.

I pointed behind me and his eyes followed my indication to watch Draco start to browse the long shelves of books.

"Want me to get rid of him?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Just wait."

Conner straightened and jerked his chin up in greeting, staring at something behind me. I turned around to face Draco Malfoy, merely inches from my face. He reached over my shoulder and placed a small white book on the counter, his clover green eyes never left my sky blue ones. His closeness sent my nerves haywire, they danced over my skin; threatening to leap right off of me and cling to the man in front.

"How much?" He asked. I snapped out of a daze I didn't realize was there and shuffled out of Draco's way to the till. He moved forward with an amused smile playing on his face.

"That will be seven sickles." Conner stated, he gave Draco a hard stare, but Draco didn't seem to notice. He pulled out a few galleons and dropped them in a pool in Conner's calloused hand.

"'No Small thing'? Thats a strange pick. If I do say so myself." Conner mused. "A muggle book? Is it not?"

"Yeah, it is." I said, surprising myself. "I've read it. Its a good read."

Draco looked at me and folded the paperback into his pocket. "You like to read?" He asked.

A spark flew from the dead hearth inside. "Yes." I smiled. "Its my favourite thing in the world."

Draco nodded, like this information was useful. "We should read together sometime." He said. Then he ducked his head and stroud out of the book store.

I sighed dreamily and placed my elbow on the counter.

"God, Jo." Conner muttered.

"What?" I asked indignantly. I turned to Conner, who had left his post at the till and was stacking books on a black trolley.

"Do you seriously have to fawn all over him whenever he's around?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you like him!"

"Wha-what! I do n-not like Draco!" I stuttered stupidly.

"Yea you do!" Conner pointed at me and smiled teasingly, his white teeth standing out.

"You can't prove it!" I crossed my arms. Conner took a step toward me bravely.

"You always smile and get a glazed look whenever he's around."

"Sometimes I get gassy." I argued, Conner and I were close enough now that it didn't matter if he knew those details.

"You always pop your hip out flirtatiously when he's near you, even though you don't know it."

Smiling guiltily I evened my weight to both my legs and stood normally. "That doesn't prove anything."

"Draco likes you too." Conner said.

"He does!" I asked eagerly. "How do you know?"

"He always feels the need to be extra nice and caring whenever your even in the same room together." Conner started to push his trolley away down the history section in the back of the shop and started placing books into their correct spot. "And he is actually kind of bearable to be around, unless you two are too close."

"Hows that?" I asked.

"Well, then that means theres no room for me." Conner stopped working and turned to me, he moved closer so our toes touched and peered down at me. "Jo, he's only going to hurt you."

Completely oblivious to Conner's feelings, I threw my hands up in indiscretion. "First Hermione, now you! I am not a child, I can care for myself you know!"

"Thats just it Jo. I know too well." Suddenly Conner's lips were far too close than I have allowed before, and I wasn't feeling the need to move away. It has been far too long since I had felt loving lips upon mine... Conner placed a hand behind my ear, just at the nape of my neck, and pulled me up to him. Our lips connected and I hesitantly crawled my arms around his neck. Conner moved his arm around the small of my back and pulled me to him, if there was even space between us to minimize. His glasses fell out of place on his nose and slid off his face. Then all at once, I was too caught in the moment. Too enthralled with this guys perfection. Too in love with his caring personality. Too tangled in his mouth. Too much for me.

Conner's POV

Jo's hands moved to my neck and both of my arms were completely wrapped around her waist. I could feel her body move around me. Her hips pressed to my upper thigh and her neck barely made it to my shoulders. She was tall but still shorter than me, but she wasn't lanky. I tangle my hand into her sweet hair and pushed her tuque off her head. The hat fell to the ground beside my glasses.

"Its about time!" A voice called out. Jo jumped away from me, like she was caught kicking a puppy. But I held onto her waist and stepped with her. She was mine now. Finally.

We looked to the front of the store where Michael stood with Ginny on his arm, both laden down with shopping bags; manic grins on their faces.

"Jo!" Ginny laughed teasingly. Jo blushed deeply. "It was just a snog!" She said defensively.

"A long snog." Michael explained.

"Oh my goodness!" Ginny laughed. "C'mon Jo."

Still blushing, Jo allowed herself to be pulled out of the shop by Ginny.

"Way to go mate!" Michael congratulated, once Jo and Ginny were safely out of ear shot into the storm. I chuckled and bent down to pick up my glasses and Jo's hat.

"She left her hat here." I observed.

"Once you get off your shift. We'll go take it to her." Michael said.

"Alright."

Michael sighed, amused and began browsing the the limited stock The Book Nook held. "What?" I asked.

"I can't believe it. That girl was a hard nut to crack."

"She's worth it." I said.

"You bet she is." Michael smiled.

"Your such a creep!" I exclaimed. I walked away from the history section to the front of the shop where I picked up a rogue christmas decoration and reapplied it to the wall.

"Don't get me wrong. Ginny's one hell of a gal, but Jo is a nice find too."

I shook my head. "God, Michael."

Jo's POV

"C'mon Jo! Tell me about what happened! Conner finally kissed you! And you let him!" Ginny giggled.

"Shut up Ginny!" I told her. Passers by and other Hogwarts students stared at the pair of us as we made our way to the Hogshead.

Ginny squealed loudly causing me to cover her mouth with my mitt and pull her into the nearest alleyway.

"Are you serious!" I whisper shouted. "Do you want the whole school to find out?"

"Why not!" Ginny soothed. "If you and Michael are going to be an item then-"

"I don't think so." I argued.

"What!?" She said. Ginny stomped her foot and protruded her bottom lip. "But I ship it!"

"Sorry Ginny. Conners... perfect. But... I cant."

"Why not!"

"Its hard to explain."

Ginny gave me the look.

"Its complicated." I started. "I don't know. O.k, maybe Conner and I might be a thing." Ginny squealed again and linked her arm through mine.

"Oh, goody. So how did it start?"

"Well..." I said. Honestly it bored me to relay the whole thing to Ginny, but she wanted to know what went on... I decided to leave Draco out of the equation. "We were just talking about how he got a job at The Book Nook, he had special permission from Dumbledore to come on weekends and work. And I was saying how I should get a job there. Then it just happened. He leaned in and we kissed. Repeatedly."

...

About five minutes later Ginny and I met Eileen at the Hogshead and scurried inside. Ginny had told Michael about it so obviously Michael had told Conner, so right after the three friends had stepped inside, the boys had followed suit.

Conner walked up to me and slipped my hat into my hand. "You left this there." He said in a whisper. I took the wool tuque from him and slipped it over my tousled hair. "Thanks." I whispered back. The five of us clustered around some chairs in front of Hermione, Ron and Harry, who were already there and awaiting more people. Hermione winked at me as I sat down in a bar stool and I smiled back. From the corner of my eye I saw Ron give Ginny a death glare, Ginny saw too and smiled sweetly back at him.

More people filed in after us, a lot of people I knew, Fred and George, Colin Creevy, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell and others as well. But there were some I didn't recognize. A slender asian girl waved to Harry. harry waved back slowly, Ginny saw and silently glared at her. Another tall Hufflepuff with ruffled sandy hair sat at the front with his arms crossed. When it looked like everyone had found a seat, Hermione stood up and began to talk.

"So," she started. "We all know why were here. We need a new defence against the dark arts teacher." A few people nodded in agreement. "Were not learning anything. And were not learning to pass our O. ." She stood up and started to pass back and forth. She continued to talk when a thought struck me. Well, more like my bladder struck me. "I'll be right back." I whispered to Ginny. She nodded absently and continued to stare at Harry. I stood up and picked my way to the door. No one gave me a second look. I tucked my red Gryffindor scarf tighter around my neck and pulled my hat lower over my ears before braving into the storm outside.

Draco's POV

As I left The Book Nook I glanced back longingly at Jo through the window. Her and Conner seemed to be arguing about something. Hopefully something that would ruin their friendship. For almost a month I had watched them get closer and more friendly. I just hope she wasn't interested in him... That way. Before I walked back down the street I stole one more glance through the frosted windows and saw them kissing. My heart dropped ten feet into the hard ground. My mouth dropped open and my palms slammed into the peeling window sill.

"WHAT?" I exclaimed aloud. No! This couldn't be right. She was yelling at him a second ago! What? Grumbling to myself I stomped down the street and burst into the three broomsticks. I spotted Blaise and Pansy in the back making goggly eyes at each other. I sat down beside them.

"Oh, Drac-" Pansy stood off and dusted her floor length coat. Like she was caught kissing Blaise. As Jo and Conner were.

"Stuff it Pansy." I shouted at her. "I need a firewhiskey!" Immediately Blaise handed me his bottle. I downed the rest of it in one swig, the golden liquid slid down my throat and tickled the inside of my stomach, the drink tilted my head and for a moment. I had forgotten Jo. "Im buying." I said.

Jo's POV

Wind whistled through my loose strands of brown hair. "Blast this wind!" I called. What was I thinking? No way was I going to the bathroom in the Hogshead. Ew! That place was filthy. Instead I had made my way to the three broomsticks and went into the bathroom. About two minutes later I burst back into the pub and hurried through it. In the rhythmic chatter and laughter I heard a faint calling of my name. I turned to see who was yelling at me, a body slammed into me when I was looking away, it felt like he intended to hold me up. But my momentum pushed us both to the ground. I cushioned the back of the students head with my hands.

"I am so sorry!" I said. I was so embarrassed I didn't even look into his face. Instead I directed my blush to his adams apple.

"No problem." He said. I could feel his drunken breath on my forehead. I looked onto the startling eyes of Draco Malfoy.

"Oh, god. I'm so sorry!" I said. Suddenly I was all too aware of his hands underneath my coat. Inching closer and closer to the small of my back.

"Thats quite alright." He said. His voice was weak and he slurred his 'quite'. I giggled stupidly. God... Why does Draco have this affect with me.

"I think we better get off the ground now." I said through my oncoming smile.

"Sure." He said... Neither one of us moved. We both looked at each other and laughed again. "I like this." Draco said.

Oh geez!

"Draco." I said.

"Hmmph?" He mumbled.

"Your drunk."

"Yeah." He admitted. "Want some?"

He held a bottle into view. "Nah." I said. I leaned off of Draco and stood up. I offered him a hand. He took it and pulled himself up.

"Hey Jo?" He asked.

"What?" I asked. I held him at the shoulders, he looked like if I let go he would fall again. His eyes half dropped and his blond hair has all tousled sexily and messed up, somehow he had lost his coat and was drinking in his plain grey T.

"Think fast!" Then he grabbed my waist and pulled me into a kiss. He held my head in place with one hand. And the other was wrapped tightly around my back. My arms got caught in the middle and could do nothing to encourage or reject him. God, Draco. Why? He deepened the kiss and I gave in.

"Um excuse me?" An angry voice called. I knew that voice. Pansy seriously had some separation issues.

"Can we help you?" Draco had pulled away but the smell and taste of firewhiskey still lingered on my lips.

"Get off her!" She yelled. Draco rolled his eyes and leaned toward me.

"I'll see you later!" He whispered seductively. A chill shivered down my spine when he removed his arms from me and stumbled off into the chaos of the three broomsticks.

**Note. 'No small thing' Is an actual book written by Natalie Ghent. Its very good. -DaEvilQueen-785**


	16. Ocean of Tears

"Jo! Where were you! Your blushing like mad! You missed the entire meeting!" Ginny, Eileen and I stood in line with the rest of the club members. We were at the back, everyone was lining up to sign the slip of parchment. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Conner and Michael staring at me from the door.

"I went to the loo, but I didn't want to go in the Hogshead so I went to the three broomsticks. No, I'm not!" I explained.

"Yes! You are! You're blushing redder than my hair." Ginny tugged on a lose strand of curls for emphases.

I blushed again. "Sorry." I mutter. The people in front of us moved away to reveal Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting at a table with a piece of parchment on it. Hermione smiled reassuringly and slid a quill into my palm. I took it and jotted... Josephine Clearwater... In neat swirly lettering. The words sizzled on the parchment for a moment before settling back down and resuming its ink colour. The same happened when Ginny signed her name, and Eileen too.

"Where were you?" Harry asked abruptly.

"Me?" I asked, I pointed to myself.

"Yeah, where were you?" Harry asked again.

"I was in the bathroom in the three broomsticks."

Harry gave me a suspicious look, but seemed to give up. "Did you get one of these?" Harry held open his palm, and in the middle was a galleon. "I'm set thanks." Everyone around me laughed. "What?"

"Its not a real galleon. There just meant to look like one, these are our communicators." Harry explained. "Hermione charmed them to copy her own. She will change the date on hers, and the others will change as well. And then you'll know the date for the next meeting."

"Oh." I said, I took the galleon Harry was holding out and shoved it in my pocket.

...

Seemed that Dumbledore had taken pity on us and decided to give us a ride back to school in the carriages. It was not as bad a blizzard as before, but a light snow fall had taken over. Crystallizing everything in cold and ice. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Eileen, Ginny and I were one of the last ones there. We found a carriage as quick as possible. Inside the carriage was dark, but once someone stuck their head into it, a light popped on in the top corner. Before I climbed in, I noticed something i haven't before. A tall black something was standing in front of the carriage.

"Whats that?" I asked. Ron, Hermione and Ginny had climbed in and didn't hear me. Harry and Eileen walked round in front of the creature. The 'horse's' leathery black wings stretched far into the night then resumed its position on its back. The beauty clopped its hoofs nervously and shook its mane.

"Its gorgeous." I said in almost a whisper.

Harry nodded, but Eileen looked at it with pure loathing.

"There called Thestrals." Harry said. I repeated the name out loud.

"How come I've never seen them before?"

"They can only be seen by people who've seen death. You must of seen someone die." Harry responded.

"I have." Suddenly the memory was all too vivid and alive it hurt. I gasped and clutched my head. Eileen rushed over to meet me but I backed away. "No!" I yelled at her. Bile rose in my throat and tears welled in my eyes, it was too much. I coughed and spat it out, I let the tears pour down my face. I hate this. I hate it. A pair of arms attempted to wrap around my shoulders, but I pushed them off and backed toward the last carriage, which was opened roofed and already had someone occupying it.

"I need to be alone." I whispered into the silence.

"Jo, thats the last thing you need right now." Eileen hushed. This time when she attempted to hug me, I let her. She steered me toward the last carriage and we sat down opposite the other person. In the haze of my tears I could see harry look over at us sadly and climb into the carriage. It pulled away and for a few moments, it was just us in the light falling of snow. Hogwarts truly was a winter wonderland.

"Are you alright?" A soft voice asked. I looked up to see Luna Lovegood sitting there. White dusts of snow tainted her long blond hair, she gazed vacantly at her magazine.

"Im fine." I whispered. I pressed my legs together and hugged my hat, scarf and coat tight to my body. Trying to create body heat. My frozen feet sat alone in their frozen cages. I tried to wiggle them but they didn't move.

"Are you?" Eileen asked. Her arm was around my shoulders, I laid my head on her shoulder, I really need a friend right now. A rasped sigh escaped my trembling lips and Eileen hugged me tighter.

"Don't worry Jo." luna said. "You'll feel better once your in the castle." I took this in. Even though Luna wasn't a reliable source for facts, she can be very wise. I nodded wistfully and gazed vaguely off the carriage.

Huge lengths of snow sat untouched on the branches of evergreens and pines, the tree's bark was a darkened black brown and had small bits of wet moss on them. Slush and mud jumped around the old road as the carriage sped by. Luna was smiling at her magazine, she flipped it upside down. Eileen was looking worriedly at me. Another tear ran down my face and... Why was my life so complicated? Why do Conner and Draco do this to me? Theres nothing appealing or sexy about me. I was just Jo. Clumsy, uncoordinated, unattractive, stupid, grandmother-less Jo. My nose began to sting and more tears washed the old ones out.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Eileen asked.

Slowly... I began to nod. "It was before school. There was an accident that happened." I felt sadder and a new wave of tears coming on. The only way to get out my story was to speak louder, thats the only thing thats preventing myself to dissolve in an ocean of tears. I turned my volume up. "One day. I was at my grandmothers house. And we were playing chess. My grandmother owns the church outside of town... And she keeps all the collection money in a vault in her living room. And... We were playing chess, she had just made a crack about my skills because I can never beat her. Then there was a pounding on the door. Grandma's face suddenly changed and she was telling me to get in the closet. So I did. Its one of those closets... with the doors that have slanted panels and you can see out. So she opened the front door and in came these man, two men and one woman." I was yelling now, yelling pointlessly into the evening, but if I lowered my voice, that would leave room for the tears to soak in again. "They threatened to kill her if she didn't hand over the collection money. She told them where it was." My voice wobbled at the end and my head fell into my bare hands. "They beat her to death. They heard me crying and found me. They were about to beat me too. Thats when the cops showed up." I let my hands fall and I bent further to burry my head in my knees.

"Oh my gosh!" Eileen said. She only met my grandma once. "I'm so sorry. I can't imagine."

"No." I said. I straightened up and looked her in the eye. I was feeling better somehow. No ocean of tears were coming anymore. "You can't."

**Sorry if there was some confusion. If there isn't a label at the top saying who's POV it is, then just assume its Jo's POV. I know I haven't posted in awhile, so hEre two chapters in two days. Consider yourself lucky. ;P -DaEvilQueen-785**


	17. Unexpected Things

It wasn't just the passing of my grandmother that set me off, the constant presence of Conner never left my consciousness. He was always somewhere. Right behind me, lurking one table over, holding my hand or just standing in view. Conner was now sitting in front of me in the library and we both had stacks and stacks of books crowding our view of each other, we were studying for a Herbology quiz that was to take place the next day. I was trying to pile them in my way of Conner on purpose, but when he couldn't see my face, he would move them aside and wink, my patience was running thin. Sure Conner was perfect, he was caring, honest, handsome, loveable, strong, sarcastic and... Hot! But Conner was clingy, in a way I didn't find attractive. He winked again for the hundredth time and moved the Herbology books out of the way for the thousandth time. My less than existent patience disintegrated into anger and I slammed my studying book shut. I was sure my anger was obvious on my face, but Conner only leaned forward, grasped my fist and kissed it worriedly.

"Are you O.k Jo?" He asked. "You look ready to murder someone."

"Is is that obvious!?" I whisper shouted. I stood up and shoved my chair out of my way, it clattered loudly to the ground. I stormed away deeper into the library. I could hear Conner jogging along behind me. I rounded a few corners and wade deeper into the never-ending rows of book shelves and crowding tables. Once at the back I pushed away a couple of snogging Hufflepuffs and lead Conner up a skinny iron rodded staircase that wound up in small tight circles. Once at the top I lead him down a short hallway and stopped at the door at the end. I opened the door for him and let him wall through first.

"I've never been in here before." He said.

Without answering him I grabbed his tie and pulled him behind the nearest bookshelf. All the books and scrolls were covered in a thick layer of dust, cobwebs were strung between the shelves and isles themselves.

I pulled him down the row after me and jerked his head down to my height, two inches from my face.

"Woah, Josephine!" Conner held his neck protectively but stopped resisting and actually leaned forward. I'm clearly trying to be intimidating, but apparently it wasn't working. "I'm going to need that later." He said. He strung an arm over my body to grasp the shelf behind me, he leaned in...

"Look, Conner!" I hissed. "I don't know what you're playing at! But you need to quit it." I nearly snarled at him I was so ticked at Conner. "Seriously! Are you stalking me?"

Conner only smiled blissfully. "I honestly can't concentrate on anything until you stop looking so beautiful." I might of blushed.

I let go of his tie and threw my hands up in exasperation. "Conner! What are all this? Why do you do this to me? Why me? Your such a nice guy! And I don't even have the decency to love you back!" I covered my face in my hands, I said that last bit quieter than the rest and Conner didn't hear it. His hands removed my hands from my face and he moved my arms around his neck.

"Its easy to give in, if you let it." He said.

I glared at him. "What do you want? Sex?"

His face brightened. "That would be nice."

"Ugh!" I groaned and pushed away. "Don't you get it!" I yelled at him. "It can't happen! It won't! We can't be together! Seriously, give me some space!"

Conner's face broke down, I felt like I had just kicked a puppy. Oh, god. What have I done?

"What?" He asked. "Jo, no. You can't. We can! It can work! You want space I'll give you space! Just don't kick me away!" Conner stepped back a few paces and opened his arms, which said:

see? Heres your space. Now you come to me.

The corners of my mouth dipped down sadly and my eyes felt like bursting into tears. My heart said get out now. And my head said... Go into his embrace... But that's not what my heart said. "I'm sorry Conner. Your perfect in every way possible. But I don't love you. I should. But I don't." If my face could go any sadder, it would of. "I'm sorry."

Suddenly Conner's depressed face turned into an angry one. He marched up to me and for a moment I thought he might hit me. I cringed away. Then Conner seemed to realize that he was scaring me and backed off a bit.

"Its Draco isn't it?" He said.

I began to shake my head.

"That's why. You love him! I was right! And I specifically told you to stay away from him!"

I scoffed. "You can't tell me what to do!"

"Oh yeah!" Conner challenged. Then he storms past me and strides to the door. I had to jog to keep up with his long legs. "Then I'll just have to find someone who can!" Quick as a whip Conner jumped into the hallway and shut the door behind him. I heard a lock click and I banged on the door.

"What the hell Conner! You can't lock me in here!" I yelled.

"I just did." He yelled back.

"I brought you here!"

"And I can leave you here till I get Michael and Ginny!"

"Ginny's seriously busy with Marisa right now. Trying to patch up their friendship."

"Then Michael and I will take you to her."

"Seriously Conner your acting childish."

Conner didn't answer me. I pressed my right ear to the door and listened hard. All I could hear were footsteps. Getting quieter and quieter. I could hear the faint rattling of the iron staircase, then he was gone. I groaned and slammed my palm on the door and leaned back on the nearest bookshelf.

"Life isn't going your way?" A masculine voice teased, I knew that voice. I smirked to myself and waltzed back down the aisle.

I emerged into the far side of the upstairs library and found the corner I liked to read in, already occupied by a blond-haired, smart mouthed, hangover'd, Slytherin someone. Draco was lounging on a plush red sofa, the hard wooden floor around him had been swept and the lights and small hanging pictures had been dusted. Behind Draco was a huge window which showed the opposite side of the castle. The side with fields and a little infinite of clouds, small farm houses and roads dotted and snaked through the wheat fields. Unlike the other side of the castle, whose windows portrayed the lake, Hagrid's hut, the spacious lawns, the forbidden forest and the quidditch pitch. Sunshine poured into the dim and dirty upstairs library and lit up the walls and floor around us, creating a nice glow to the room. Draco was looking at his book 'No Small Thing' and was flipping through the pages absentminded. His shoes and school bag lay still by his feet, his head stayed atop an emerald-green throw cushion.

I shook my head and sat down on the edge of the sofa, by his hips. "You have no idea." I said.

He looked up and smirked at me. I smirked back. "Hows that hangover?" I asked.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "Terrible!" He said. "I can't think straight. My head hurts, and I can't read now because the words are literally swimming on the pages, but I really want to start this book today before Blaise finds me!"

"Give it here." I ordered. Draco sat up a little straighter and tossed me the paperback. I caught it easily and flipped to the first page. I cleared my throat. "Chapter one..." I began.

Draco gave me a skeptical look. "Serious? Your willing to read aloud to me?"

I shrugged. "Well it looks like were going to be stuck here awhile... Conner locked us in." I laughed, how ironic, well that was his own bloody fault.

"How do you know about this place?" Draco asked.

"How did you find out about this place?" I repeated.

"I asked you first."

"I asked you second."

Draco gave me a look.

"Madam Pince told me about it, in my second year." I started. Draco raised an eyebrow. Damn. I tried not to get too distracted. "She saw I was getting mad about some noisy fifth years. She gave me a broom and said if i swept it once a week I could do all my reading up here." I gestured around to the old second library.

Draco nodded and looked at me. "She gave me the same offer, except I was dusting the shelves."

"That was you!" I exclaimed. I always thought that was Filch.

"Yeah." Draco smiled, funny you never actually see him smile, he's always smirking or sneering in some form. "So..." Draco said, switching gears, he leaned back and rested his palms behind his head. "I guess I didn't get your middle name before four O'clock."

I laughed. I forgot all about that. And the way Draco brought it up was golden.

"No, no you didn't." I said, I placed my hand on the edge of the couch and leaned on it.

"Here let me guess... Is it... Eleanor?"

I shook my head.

"Ellen?"

"No."

"Elma?"

"Nah."

"Eva?"

"Nope."

"Ah C'mon, its probably something complicated and foreign like... Latifah, or Megan."

I giggled. "Megan? That's not so complicated and foreign."

Draco pointed to himself. "Pure blood, remember? We all have old fashioned names like Lucius, Narcissa and Sirius."

I nodded, my small smile slipping away. I decided to turn this around. "I think you were close there... With my middle name."

Draco's ears perked up like a dog who had seen a squirrel run by. "Latifah?"

"God no." I said. "Try 'L'." I clutched 'No Small Thing' tightly and resumed a position beside Draco, with my head leaning on the rest beside Draco's and my body lying beside his. I kicked off my own Mary Janes and only then I noticed how my toes, even when pointed, only came to Draco's mid-shin.

Draco looked at me and I looked at him. Draco smiled, he didn't have a normal smile, not one that crinkled at the the edges of his eyes, but the kind of smile that required his whole face to put in an effort. His mouth tipped up and his cheeks pulled away from his teeth. His left vampire tooth was chipped at the bottom and wasn't as pointed as the other ones.

Draco's POV

Jo rested her head on my shoulder and I couldn't help but grin slightly to myself.

"Is it... Lauren?"

Jo smiled, amused.

"Guess not." I said.

"I don't think you'll ever get it." She said.

"Is that a challenge?"

She laughed. "Your so adorable. How could anyone hate you?"

Hy heart hit a pothole in the freeway. "You'd be surprised..." I said, thinking of Potter, his sidekick and their brain.

"Nothing could surprise me now." She said.

Slowly Jo reached up and held my chin, she pulled me down to her cherry red lips. I bet they taste like cherry to... Jo grazed her lips upon mine and I slid my hand over her far hip, the one half hanging off the sofa. I pulled her up so she was facing me and Jo landed her lips on mine. She pulled back almost immediately and whispered almost non existent... "Its Lacy."

"Lacy." I said. "Thats pretty." Then I lowered my head to taste test some more cherry lip gloss.

Jo's POV

Even though I couldn't see it, I could feel Draco's smile on my mouth. I ran my hand through his blond hair and tousled it around a bit. "You look better like this."

Draco only laughed. "Yeah, right."

"No really..."

Then like we were both following instructions, we hugged one another and rested our heads against each other's. Draco's chin sat on the top of my head and my head was placed on his chest. His top three buttons were undone and I had a small view of Draco's chest.

One of Draco's arms were around my shoulders and the other was holding my waist. Why? Merlin, why? My bare legs tangled through Draco's panted ones, at least I had my knee socks. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor. Huh.

Draco's POV

"Should I start reading?" Jo asked. I closed my eyes.

"That would be perfect." I said.

Jo's voice dripped like honey over my mind and all I focused on was her voice. Blaise was right, I am smitten with this Gryffindor muggle born girl, and I don't care. Dad can go fuck himself.

Jo's POV

"Sometimes, something as small as an ad in the daily newspaper can change your while life. Thats what happened to Cid, Queenie and me one summer. It was 1977 and..." I read on and on and sometimes I wasn't even sure if Draco was still awake, he always reminded me to keep reading by grunting or tightening his grasp on my waist. I didn't really mind. It wasn't easy to make Draco comfortable around people. But it seemed that I had done it in about two days.

We had gotten through around six chapters when there was a banging from the door. I could hear Conner and Michael running down the isles, calling my name. I didn't bat an eye, only kept on reading to Draco.

"While we were waiting for Cid and Queenie to return, I wash my knee in the sink. After the blood is cleaned up I can see that the dog only grazed the skin..." I just finished the sentence when Michael and Conner came into my peripheral view. They surveyed the scene with their hands on their hips and their eyes wide in shock. Conner was the first to move.

"What the hell is going on here?" He practically screamed.

Draco and I didn't even flinch. "It isn't nearly as bad as it could have been." I continued. "'We'll have to tell Ma about Smokey when they get back, I say, trying to thread the needle to fix my pants.'"

"Hey!" Michael interrupts. At this I tilt my head at them and peer over with one accusing eye.

"What? Were reading." I said, then more to Draco than Conner I said. "God, so rude."

Conner scowled and went to say something but Draco got there first.

"Just ignore them and the snotty ravenclaw's might actually get the hint."

I hit Draco in his stomach. "That was rude."

Draco made an apologetic face. "Sorry." Once I turned my eyes to 'No Small Thing' I could feel Draco punching his fist into his other flat palm and glaring at the two boys. I hit him again and he stopped.

"Were leaving." Michael said firmly.

Unwilling to start a fight I got up rather stiffly and tossed the book to Draco, he caught it and adjusted the throw cushion under his head.

"See you tomorrow?" He asked hopefully.

I hesitated. "...Yeah." As much as I could of avoided it I didn't want to disappoint Conner any more than I have already, but I didn't want to leave Draco hanging. Michael and Conner began to march back down the isle so I collected the small bits of my soul still hidden in this nook of the castle, and followed. I'm pretty sure I had missed a small piece, which Draco was keeping in his pocket.

"Hey Jo!" Draco called. "Bring your cherry lipstick again, will you?"

I blushed and didn't answer. Instead I winked, and he winked back.

Draco's POV

As Jo walked away (she didn't notice) Conner had looked back and gave me the death glare. I smirked innocently after him, although it probably wasn't too innocent as I was just snogging his girlfriend. Once she was securely out of reaching distance I relaxed in the sofa and tucked my book back into my school bag. Jo hadn't realized that I had already read the entire thing and had been smiling amusingly at her purple and green friendship bracelet, braided delicately over her wrist, the whole time. I had only said what I said to loosen Jo up. It might sound cheesy, but when Jo is reading or even near words on paper she seems to melt into her own world and she doesn't really take focus on the world around her. It was one of the things I liked about her.

Jo's POV

As we passed our neglected table I grabbed some of the books I had been reading (before I had been so rudely interrupted by annoying winking and book shuffling) and tucked them under my arm. When we came to the library entrance (which was more like an archway) the librarian stopped me.

"You can't take these." She said simply.

"Why not?" I asked Madam Pince. "I always take out these books." I held up 'The Big Book of (useful; not really) Spellz', 'Charming Charms' and 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Peel Society' (a muggle book I brought).

Madam Pince took the books from my grasp and placed them on her podium ledge. "I'm sorry, but new educational decree number four says that no library books can be taken from outside the library. Sorry Jo, but its the rule."

"What about this?" I took 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' from Madam Pince. "I brought this here."

The librarian sighed frustrated. "Jo, I'm afraid I'll have to take this too. Professor Umbridge doesn't want to take any chances, with anything really. Word is she's becoming the new educational inquisitor."

I groaned and handed her back my book. "These stupid new decrees!" I mumbled as I stormed through the archway and down the corridor.

"There's only been four so far!" Michael argued.

"Four's enough." I huffed. She better not crinkle any of my pages. Dad got me that book for my birthday last year. I think I've read it about three hundred times already. Its my favourite.

...

I followed Conner and Michael to the entrance hall of Hogwarts, the boys hadn't said anything the whole walk there. They stopped and turned around. Behind them over the fir trees a luminous pink sunset spread along the sky and tainted the white clouds. I wrenched my gaze off the beautiful sunset and directed it to my feet. Michael glared at me, but Conner's face was impassive, he bit his lip uncertainty. Conner took a few steps closer so I could see his black shoes in my view of the stone floor.

"Jo..." He said sadly. I stole a glance at his face. Conner looked beat and worn out. He held up his pointed fist and waved it up and down a little looking at the stone floor. Then he lowered his arm and gave up, and walked away. He kept going until he came to a T and turned left.

"You really hurt him.. I hope you know that." Michael said angrily.

"I know." I said.

"Then why'd you do it?"

"I don't know... Because I could? Because Conner was the only normal thing in my world? Because I'm so used to being hurt or betrayed? Conner was bound to move on. So is Draco."

"You know what he said to me before you two left for the library?" Michael asked, he folded his arms over his chest and looked down, suddenly amused. Without waiting for an answer he barrelled on. "I told him that you were going to break his heart. And you know what he said? He said... 'I would be privileged to have my heart broken by Josephine'. And I told him he was crazy and should dump you."

"He should have..." I said.

Michael laughed.

"What?" I asked. I had been staring indirectly at a lilac bush behind him, I directed my look to Michael's face. "Whats so funny? This isn't exactly a comedy, you know."

"Well." Michael said. "I just thought that he would be the one to snap. Not you."

I groaned. "Good bye Michael." I told him. As I brushed past I said. "Tell him I'm sorry. Its just... Not me he's looking for." I was talking to Michael, but I was in a different world, staring into space.

"O.k." He said. Then Michael followed in Conner's trail and disappeared left of the corridor.

Without hesitating I stride across the lawn. The dry grass crinkled and withered under my feet, the grass was a dull water deprived green and seemed to refuse to flatten under my weight. I frowned and wandered cluelessly toward the forbidden forest. I stopped at the brink of the forest and placed my small hand on the huge trunk of a tall tree. The tree went up, up, up till I couldn't define the upper foliage. Which was a hunter green smudge against the darkening sunset.

Screw it.

I took one step into the forest. It was slightly chillier in the shade. I glanced behind me, nobody was rushing over to stop me. I took another step deeper into the wood. Then I took another, and another, and another. I kept going until it stopped hurting. I kept going way before there was no Hogwarts in the distance, no Hagrid's hut, no spacious lawns, no lake or quidditch pitch. Until there was only trees, and darkness.

"Why good evening miss Clearwater." A tranquil voice said. It made me jump and I nearly jumped right out of my skin as I noticed a tall elderly figure standing over a small pond in the middle of the clearing. The clearing was lighter than the rest of the forest and was open to the stars and the night above.

"... Hello." I said cautiously. Timidly I walked toward the man.

"No need to worry." He said. Then he turned around so I could see his long white beard tucked into his belt and trademark half moon glasses resting on his crooked nose. "It is only me."

I visibly relaxed and decreased the yards between us to stand beside him. "My apologies, professor Dumbledore."

The old man smiled. "No need for apologies. I believe you have a good reason for being out in the forbidden forest?"

I blushed guiltily for a moment. "I umm... Just needed a place to think."

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "That is always a good reason to be places you shouldn't." I thought he was going to lecture me about being out here. But he only glanced down at me amusingly, his eyes sparkling peculiarly.

I smiled back. "Thanks for understanding."

"It is a habit of mine. Understanding my students." He said. I was about to question further to what he had said when he said something even more questionable. "If you need a place to think. I recommend here." He motioned his arm to the glittering dark blue pond. The full moon was shinning and rippling in the slight waves and illuminated the black forest around them. "It is another habit of mine."

"Coming here?" I asked.

Dumbledore didn't answer. Instead he brought up something else. "It has come to my attention that you and Mr. Lennox are not getting along so well anymore?"

It took me a moment. "Oh." I said. "Conner. Umm.. No, were not."

"Why? If you don't mind my asking?"

"Well. He didn't really turn out the way I expected. It was totally fine. Until I spent more than two hours alone with him. Then it sort of..." I paused, looking for the right word. "Crumbled."

"That is expected. Love never is of course." He said. Then he raised his glance to the stars and a haze glazed over. I nudged his arm gently.

"Professor?"

"Hmmm?" He didn't look away from the sky.

"Should we maybe head back to the castle?"

"Yes. That would be wise." Then without another word we both turned completely around and headed back to Hogwarts. The trip back was silent and uneventful. Though I'm sure Dumbledore's mind was just as crammed and stuffed as mine. We parted ways at the entrance hall and bid each other good night. Dumbledore went to his study, and me to the Gryffindor dormitories. I climbed through the hole tiredly and dragged my worn body to my bed. It was hard holding all these feelings. I threw myself into the heavily quilted bed unceremoniously and didn't even bother to change my clothes. I waved my wand over my head and my bed curtains drew themselves to a close. I dropped my wand and I fell asleep. The last thing my brain took in was the small clatter of my wand falling onto the hard wooden flooring, before I passed out cold.


	18. Fucking Mondays

The next morning was a monday.

Grrrrrr...

"Gosh Jo. No need to growl at me. Geez." Ginny was talking to me from her bed. I opened one eye lazily and peered thoughtfully at her, Ginny was pulling her sweater vest over her white uniform blouse.

"Sorry." I mumbled, then my mind took over again and I fell into sleep.

"Josephine Lacy Clearwater!" Eileen screamed.

Grrrrrr...

I grabbed the top blanket that was layered on me and I attempted to throw it angrily at her. The blanket flew of aways then fell back down, still half draped on my bed.

"That was pathetic." Eileen shunned.

I groaned in response.

"Are you serious? Get up! You've already missed Charms!"

"WHAT?!" I yelled, not really bothering to move my sorry ass out of bed. I laid perfectly still, but in my head I was jumping around frantically gathering my things together.

"Yeah!" Eileen exclaimed.

I didn't move an inch.

"Fuck Jo!" She said, I couldn't see her through my shut-eye lids, but I could sense what she was doing. Eileen marched around angrily and stomped so hard her book back jumped off her shoulder. "Don't make me do this! Because I will!"

"No..." I mumbled stupidly.

"Here it comes!"

"...no..." Eileen would never.

Then all at once freezing cold liquid poured onto the back of my head, soaking everything in reach. It seeped down my clothes and into my sheets.

"FUCK!" I yelled. I still did not move. After the first moment of shock dissipated, the cold was a little settling. Considering I haven't yet had a shower this morning. I laid there.

"OH MY LORD, JO! What does it take to get you out of bed?" She screeched in my ear. I cringed away from the sound.

"Can you sneak me a chicken pot pie from the kitchen? We can all eat it up here. Marisa's welcome too." I whispered, I hoped that in my weak state, she might be a little quieter and a little more gentle with my eardrums.

"Yes!" She said exasperated, still louder than I would have preferred. "I'll sneak you TWELVE chicken pot pies if you make it to your next class!"

Slowly I began to peel away from the wet coverings and sat up. I looked around in the brightly lit dormitory and smacked my lips, suddenly thirsty. I got out of bed and picked my way across the messes to the bathroom.

Behind me I could hear Eileen muttering frustrated to herself, calling me a fattie and other things I dare not like to think about. I smiled amusedly to myself before shutting the bathroom door firmly behind me.

...

I strode calmly, dry, happy, clean and proud into my second period class which was Herbology. Eileen's face was worth a million galleons, it seemed her shock and proudness for me were fighting over her face. She didn't know whether to be happy for me, or shocked I even had the muscles to get out of bed. Ha ha.

I strode to my place in the classroom across from her and smiled sweetly. She gave the 'you little devil' look. Then professor Sprout began her lesson.

"Today class..." She started. The class went on and on, for another hour and thirty minutes.

...

"So hows Michael?" I asked. Ginny, Eileen, Marisa and I were sitting tiredly in the Gryffindor common room. We had just been through a disastrous potions class as Ginny had nearly set fire to professor Snape's robes. No one got out of that dungeon fast enough.

"He's fine." She mumbled.

We all sat there in silence. Then I yawned.

"Jo, why are you so tired all the time?" Eileen asked.

"Yeah," Marisa piped up. "You almost fell asleep in Transfiguration. And in Herbology." Marisa was sitting in the red armchair furthest from Ginny.

"I don't know." I said, I have been feeling very sleepy lately, maybe I'm coming down with something. "This doesn't happen usually. I'll check up with madam Pomfrey."

The girls nodded.

"So..." I said. "How are you two?" I motioned toward Ginny and Marisa.

"Were good." Ginny said. "Marisa finally realized how unreasonable she was being."

Oh god Ginny!

Marisa glared at the redhead. "And Ginny finally recognized her selfishness and ignorance."

"I am not!"

"Yes you are!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"STOP IT!" I yelled. "STOP! Both of you are acting like two-year olds! Just stop it now! You guys need to grow up! Seriously! Don't you get tired of that?" I jumped up clumsily from the sofa I was sitting on and stormed out of the room. Yells and protests from my friends followed me out of the common room and down the corridor. These people!

I walked around the castle just thinking, I had probably walked twice through every interior nook of the school when I bumped into Neville Longbottom.

"Hi Neville!" I said as I approached him on the third floor corridor.

He looked over and a grin broke onto his face. "Hey Jo!"

"Whatcha doing?"

"I'm looking for the room of requirement." He said, resuming his stare at the stone wall.

"Oh." I said.

He glanced at me again and shuffled nervously. "The room of requirement, is a room... Of requirement." He explained.

I nodded, confused.

"It is a room..." He started again, smiling now. "That comes to those who are in need of it. My grandmother told me of this room and supposedly it can help us with our Umbridge problem."

"Oh." I said again. "How do we get in?"

"Just think repeatedly... We need a place to hold our meetings in secret."

"O.k." I closed my eyes and concentrated on those words. We need a place to hold our meetings in secret... We need a place to hold our meetings in secret... We need a place to hold our meetings in secret...

Suddenly there was a sound of huge grinding metal and shifting of wood. I opened one eye and to my surprise saw a rather large doorway with huge iron doors swinging open to Neville and I in the centre of a once bare stone wall. The doors creaked once more before resuming its silent state. Through the doorway I could see a spacious oval shaped room, wide windows lined the walls bringing in a blaze of light, even though it was late evening. The perfect lighting illuminated the interior emerald carpet and the short rows of padding were nailed into the grey stone walls. Mountains of pillows were piled in one corner and an alcove above it was a small stash of books and scrolls.

"Oh my gosh!" Neville said.

I nodded slowly and walked forward a step. "This is amazing!" I moved faster into the room and spun around on my tip toes, I opened my arms to the high ceiling and space around me. "I love it!"

Neville followed in the same awed matter as I did, minus the girly spinning. "This is perfect! We have to tell Hermione!"

"Yes!" I said. I rushed over to the smaller than acceptable library and grabbed a random book from its place in the alcove. "Look at this!" I read the title and flipped through it excitedly. " 'An Advanced Guide to Self-Defense'! This is just what we need!"

Apparently my hysterics were contagious as Neville smiled widely after me and said. "You know who would love this...?"

"Who?" I asked, my grin never wavered.

"My parents. They would have loved the DA, just the idea of it." Neville gazed wistfully around the room and I patted his shoulder. I didn't really now how to comfort Neville, I wasn't exactly the right person to understand him.

"You should send them a letter." I suggested, if Neville was homesick, that's always what I did when I missed Dad too much.

Neville's shoulders slumped under my palm and his head dropped dejectedly. "Nah, they wouldn't read it. My Grandmother would though. She loves to hear from me. Though she is a little frightening." Neville laughed shortly.

It was my turn to look sad and lonely. My hand fell to my side. "Yeah..."

I raised my gaze to Neville's pale green eyes. His head, neck and shoulders resided a good three inches above my own brown curls, he had really grown, I thought. Physically and mentally. Nothing like the small shy boy who would only sit with Ginny and I in our earlier years at Hogwarts.

"Whats wrong?" He asked.

I didn't answer his question, only looked comfortingly into his loveable face and said. "You should tell Hermione about this soon. She'll be wanting to know what you know."

Neville swelled with pride at the thought that Hermione Granger might need his smarts on hand. I smiled in spite of my mood.

"I'll see you later Neville."

"Bye Josephine."

I walked out of the room of requirement and turned down the long corridor back to Gryffindor Common room.

Once through the hole behind the painting of the fat lady I walked right past the squabble going on in the very middle of the common room and got halfway up the girls staircase when I realized that the whip of red and flash of blond must have been Ginny and Marisa going at it. I flew back down the stairs and joined into the circle of Gryffindor spectators yelling 'Fight! Fight! Fight!' I shoved my way in the front row only to find myself right between Fred and George, they were yelling and cheering right along with everyone else. Eileen was pleading with our friends to stop fighting and make amends but to no avail. Ginny and Marisa still clawed and scratched at each other with hatred in their eyes. Both of them had obvious bruises on their skin and their hair had been ripped from their tidy braids and instead had knotted and twisted around messily. Ginny punched Marisa in the face and Marisa stumbled away clutching her forehead where a purple goose egg was forming. "UGH!" She screeched. Marisa barrelled back into Ginny who was too busy gloating about her victorious punch to really pay attention to her opponent. Marisa head butted Ginny in the stomach and Ginny was forced backwards, she grasped her abdomen, she coughed and sputtered for breath. Above me I heard Fred and George betting on them.

"Ginny for sure, two galleons!" Fred yelled over the fuss.

"No, no." George argued. "Marisa is going to win!"

I watched in silent horror as my two best friends unfurled a horrific brawl in front of me, I knew my efforts to stop them would only spur on their rivalry and cause an even bigger mess.

"Stop! Stop! STOP!" An orderly voice screamed over the noise. Professor McGonagal hurried over to the fight, the crowd of students opened the ring to her and went silent. Ginny and Marisa still hadn't stopped fighting. McGonagal stared at the girls in disapproval and shock, she waved her wand gravely. Suddenly Ginny and Marisa were picked up from the ground by invisible strings, like puppets, and were brought in front of the elderly transfiguration teacher. The girls looked around, slightly confused.

"Disgusting!" McGonagal spat. "Absolutely disgusting!"

They dropped their heads guiltily.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor!" She shrilled into the silence. "Each! And two detentions! Each!"

Ginny and Marisa began to argue and complain, but McGonagal silenced them; using a simple halting motion with her hand. "Follow me." She waved her wand again and Ginny and Marisa were dragged uncomfortably after the teacher, who exited the room hastily. A babble of talk broke into the common room as the fighters left, most dispersed to their own buisness and moved away from the crime scene. Fred and George high five'd.

"Sick." Fred said. I spun around to face the tall twin red heads as they smiled widely to each other.

"What?" I asked them. They looked down at me, George's grin wavered slightly.

"Were going to go pranking!" Fred rubbed his hands together evilly, then he laughed evilly. "MUAHAHAHA!"

I looked concerned at him, joking cautiousness. George and I laughed. "See ya!" He said. As the twins turned to leave and walked around me, I grabbed Fred's forearm and stopped them. "Can I come?" I asked.

They laughed so hard they fell over each other and couldn't speak for five minutes. I stared at them the whole time, my face placid with seriousness. At least, that's how I hoped I looked. "Whats so funny?" I asked.

George stood up, gasping for breath. "Its just... little innocent Josephine Clearwater wants to join us on a pranking excursion. Its just so comical." George pinched my cheek and I slapped it away, he looked hurt, but only for a second, before his smile took over.

"I'm tougher than I seem." I said, crossing my arm. I certainly looked tough, some found my fierce eyes and high cheekbones unnerving. My nature usually said other wise.

"Im sure you are, princess." George said.

My ears turned red. "So can I come or not?"

Fred got up from the carpet and shrugged. "Sure. But lets NOT, get caught by Umbridge."

The red heads left the common room and I followed. We kept walking until we found ourselves in the entrance to the dungeons.

"Are we going to prank the Slytherins?" I asked.

George and Fred smiled. "Not just the Slytherins, Draco Malfoy."


End file.
